The Peculiar Guard
by Akema Kurosawa
Summary: "Don't come near me!" I didn't mean it... "Control your child!" I didn't mean to hurt anybody... "Wretched child!" I'm not a bad... Am I?... "Freak!" I know I'm different but I... "Monster!" I'M NOT A MONSTER! I SWEAR I DIDN'T DO IT! SOMEONE, PLEASE! "What a worthless piece of garbage." Please...! "You don't deserve to live." Help me...
1. Chapter 1

Naba Prison…

Ever heard of it?

It's one of the most classified, if not the only, secretive prison in the world. It is the hardest prison that anybody in the world could break out of. It is built on an isolated island, floating on sea.

No one can get in or out of it.

Equipped with the latest technology and guards recruited around the world give it Japan's largest, and the world's highest-level, security network. Even the famous Alcatraz Island is full of holes and opportunities to escape when compared to this place.

The full truth of this place will never be revealed to the world. That is because this is Nanba Prison. No one has ever escaped successfully from this prison.

Except one…

The Warden of Nanba Prison is known as Momoko Hyakushiki. She is in charge of it all. The main tower, you could say. And, being a Warden of Nanba Prison, she usually handles large piles of paperwork daily. Those papers vary from inmates, to paychecks, to ministrations in the prison, and guards. At this moment, she was going through papers of guard requests.

There is technically an academy for training to get into the Nanba Prison as a guard, but sometimes the warden herself will gain administrations or requests from people. Going through each paper, one caught her eye.

"Hm…" She picked it up and eyed the paper. ' _I recognize this name…_ '

 **Name:** Alloisia (ah-lo-EE-zee-ah) Nicci (knee-see) Agilulf (A-gil-loaf)

 **Sex:** Female

 **Age:** 20

 **Ethnicity:** Italian/German

 **Nationality:** American

 **Height:** 175 cm (5'9")

 **Weight:** 71 kg (156 lbs)

 **Blood Type:** AB

 **Background:**

Has a family of both parent and three younger siblings. Lives in America. Has a criminal record of multiple misdemeanors; vandalism, resisting arrest, petty theft, and simple assault. She began doing them starting of age 10, admitting to knowing what she was doing and "simply not caring for the consequences." She has done her multiple years in different prisons, but has escaped a few because she couldn't stand their health treatments, or because she "got bad vibes from them." She was even sent to Nanba Prison at age 15, but has been passed through multiple buildings and wardens from her supposed wide "variety" of talents.

 **Health History:**

Has been diagnosed with Hereditary Sensory and Autonomic Neuropathy (HSAN). States that she cannot feel or sense things like the normal human can. She has the inability to sense pain unless it's severe, like slicing her hand open, all the way through the muscle. Even with this handicap, she she has strong senses of sight, taste, and hearing. She tends to be unaware of injuries on herself, but is usually sharp at catching them.

 **Request:**

"I wish to be apart of the jail guards in Nanba Prison. Finding jobs are hard and sustaining a house, much less an apartment, is practically impossible. From being in Nanba, I have found a way to clean up my act, and have sworn to myself and others to make a new beginning for myself. I know that I can be of service to this prison. If I am given the chance, that is. All I ask for is to be a guard. I am willing to go through the academy if I must. All that I ask for is a chance to prove my worth. ~A.N.A."

The blue haired warden gazed through the paper again. Placing it down, the woman stood from her desk and began opening files until she found the one she wanted. Once found, she went back to her desk to sit down while reading the inside of the envelope. She compared both files before placing them down. She put her finger against her lip as she thought about this file.

"How strange…" Muttered the Warden.

 _Knock knock_. A knock could be heard from the door. Snapped out of thought, the woman raised her head up and gazed at the door.

"Come in." She instructed.

Opening the door and peeking their head in was none other than Building 5's Supervisor, Samon Gokuu. He stepped into the room and greeted the Warden with respect. The last thing he wished to do was anger her, especially so early in the morning…

"Hello, ma'am. I came back here with those papers of the new inmates you wanted." Said Samon.

"Bring them here, then." Momoko said with her hand raised out for the papers.

Samon quickly walked to her desk and handed her the papers. She took them carefully and gazed through a few while Samon talked.

"Each new inmate in alphabetical order, just like you asked for, ma'am." He said. "I made sure that each one was accounted for as well."

"Good." Momoko looked away from the papers and to Samon. "May I ask you a question, Samon?"

"O-of course, ma'am!" Samon nervously replied, trying to act calm.

"Tell me what you recall from this past inmate." Said Momoko as she twisted the file on her desk so it faced Samon. "Inmate No. 7, Alloisia Nicci Agilulf."

"Ooh, _her_. I almost forgotten about her…" Muttered Samon as he glared at the file. "Everyone, including her past prisons, thought _she_ was really a _he_. With her build and talent for crossdressing, she got away with being a male for a long time. That is, until she came to Nanba."

"She became our very first female inmate, correct?" Asked the warden.

"Yes, but nobody but us knew of her true gender." Samon said before gazing back to the Warden. "She… Wasn't great at keeping it a secret, but she did a damn well enough job at keeping it hidden. She continuously hopped from building to building because of her acting skills until she was finally placed into Building 5. Her ability to watch someone and copy them is unique in itself, but she couldn't master it completely. If anything she just found her own in making it look professional when in reality she was pulling at straws. But her acting saved herself plenty of times…"

"Is there anything else about her?" Asked the warden. "Did she have any grudges with any of the inmates?"

"Actually, no." Samon answered as he thought carefully. "She actually got along with many people. Even though she had a pretty bad temper, she made up for it by being nice to her fellow inmates and even us guards. It was pretty weird, considering how she could make almost anybody her ally by just talking to them."

"I see…" Muttered the warden as she gazed at the picture in the file.

"If I can ask, why did you ask me about her?" Samon questioned his superior. "She's been gone for at least 2 or 3 years by now. Don't tell me she's being brought back here."

The warden's mouth twitched upwards at Samon's concern. She gazed up at him as a smirk graced her lips.

"Not quite the way you would imagine it…" She replied. She then closed the request paper and handed it to Samon. "Please give this to the Supervisor of Building 4, Kenshirou. Tell him that I ask for this request to be given, and to bring the person here to my office immediately."

"Uh, alright." Samon took the file from her hands. "I'll head over there right away."

"Thank you. That will be all." Replied the Warden before turning around in her chair.

Samon eyed her for a moment, wondering if she would ask him anything else. When a response wasn't given, he turned and walked out of her office. Once he was out, he was very curious about why the sudden mention of one of his past inmates. When the door closed behind him, he took a peek at the request file. As soon as he saw the picture he couldn't help but exclaim in shock.

"NO WAAAAY!"

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	2. Chapter 2

' _Alloisia Nicci Agilulf…_ '

The female warden gazed at her desk in deep thought. Ever since the request paper she was given, she couldn't help but think about the person. It was strange. Momoko remembers this prisoner well because of the strange occurrences that's happened with her. She could only call it strange.

' _...Why would a request come from you of all people…?_ '

 _Knock knock._

"Come in." Instructed the warden as she lifted her head up.

The doors opened to reveal the intruders. The Supervisor of Building 4, Kenshirou Yozukura, was standing there with his hand firmly placed on the person in front of him.

"Excuse the intrusion, ma'am. I retrieved the person you asked for." Kenshirou said.

Momoko gazed at the person standing in front of Kenshirou. They looked very uncomfortable and never took their eyes off of his hand.

"...Could you… ease up on the grip…?" They asked softly.

"No." Instantly stated Kenshirou as he gazed down at them harshly.

"Good to know you're the same as always…" Mumbled the civilian.

The Warden couldn't help but examine the person she asked be brought in. Standing under Kenshirou's firm grip on their shoulder was a female. She was short compared to him. Her skin seemed tan as Momoko could spot the tan lines on her collar bone. She wore a green shirt that had the sleeves hang off of her shoulders. She wore beige pants that was rolled up, showing some stains of grass and dirt. On her feet was nothing but sandals.

Compared to how she used to look, she seemed a lot better. Her pale skin was tan now, most likely from being outside, and she didn't look as scrawny as she did as a teen. Her light brown hair was definitely shorter than last time, only going slightly past her shoulders. Her honey brown eyes were looking as calm as they always do. But Momoko frowned when she noticed that her hands were cuffed in front of her, making her look like an inmate. But, with a record like hers, it was to be expected.

"She isn't an inmate anymore, Kenshirou. The least you can do is release her shoulder." Momoko said, sharply eyeing the man.

Without argument, he took his hand off of the woman's shoulder. She seemed to relax as her eyes now gazed at the Warden. Momoko gestured for her to come forwards.

"Please come closer." Momoko asked her.

With her head slightly down, the woman walked over so she stood in front of Momoko's desk. Kenshirou, who kept his eye sharp on the woman's back, eyed her carefully in case she tries something. Momoko held a slight smirk as she recalled the woman's familiar face.

"It's been awhile since I've seen your face." Spoke the warden. "You haven't been causing any problems, have you?"

"I can't necessarily answer that…" Mumbled the woman.

The warden chuckled slightly, knowing quite well of what the answer is. Her eyes examined her again. "...Where did all that dirt get on you?"

"Oh, that…" The woman gazed down on the ground, wondering if she was leaving a mess. "I've been working on a local farm. Helping with all the heavy duty appliances and all. If it pays, it pays, I guess…"

"I see…" The warden's eyes stuck to her hands. "Did you get those scars from the farm as well?"

All over the woman's hands were multiple scars. It extended up to her wrist, but begin to spread out as they went up her arms. The woman frowned slightly and gazed at her hands and arms.

"...Maybe." She replied with a shrug. "Some of them came from fights, others from mishaps. I probably caused a few of them by accident…"

"I see…" Muttered the warden before looking towards her face. "It's been awhile since you've seen Nanba Prison, correct?"

"Not really…" Replied the woman as she gazed around the office. "I mean, from when I was around, things have definitely changed. I've noticed you created a few new centers as well…"

"Nanba Prison is always improving, after all." Replied the warden.

"When isn't it?" Said the woman as her eyes came back to the warden.

Momoko's lip twitched in amusement. "I see your emotionless sarcasm still remains."

"I…" The woman flinched, probably not expecting to hear that. "...didn't mean anything behind it, ma'am…"

"I know you didn't." Momoko said. She put her arms on her desk before placing her lips against her entwined fingers. "Now, let's get down to business… You sent in a job request to work here in Nanba Prison. Specifically, to be a guard… Why's that?"

"Nanba Prison is honestly a lot nicer than the outside." Replied the woman without hesitation. "The food is nice, making friends isn't that hard, the place is super clean compared to other prisons, and comparing my pay to here, this place is like a sanctuary. With the jobs I have now, I'm barely making enough to sustain a roof over my head, much less covering for my health insurance and having left over money for food. Nobody in a business industry wants some woman with a criminal record, especially when she has a genetic disorder…"

"Then why do you believe that we would take you in?" Sharply spoke Kenshirou. "You were our prisoner, after all. Why come back?"

"Because…" She turned and looked him in the eye. "This place is full of a variety of strange and unique individuals. Why pass down an opportunity of working in a place full of misfits when you're a misfit yourself…?"

"Why you…" Kenshirou growled at her before Momoko gave him a sharp glare.

"She means no harm, Kenshirou. There's no need to be on the offensive." Said Momoko.

"...Yes, ma'am." He muttered and stepped back, showing he was backing down.

"Now, why specifically a guard?" Asked Momoko as she looked back to the woman. "Why would you want that instead of an easier and safer job? Like working at the mall or even the theater?"

"Because… I know I can be of use as a guard." Replied the woman. "As a guard, I can gain the trust of the inmates easier. By doing that, I can gain information other guards usually can't. Plus, when it comes to stopping fights and taking down runners, I'm one of your best options. Even as an inmate here, I still did all those necessities for you guys, so..."

"You believe you can do it again…?" Finished Momoko.

The woman gave a curt now. Momoko held her gaze for a while, seeing a determined expression in her eyes. It was clear that this woman wants nothing more than to help. Momoko couldn't help but smirk at her.

"You honestly haven't changed a bit, huh?" Asked the warden.

The woman gazed to the side, almost in an embarrassed manner. "I… wouldn't exactly say that."

"Let me ask you this, Alloisia." Momoko spoke sternly, grabbing the woman's attention. "From your time here in Nanba Prison we had to specifically be careful of your identity of being a woman. Even though no one but us faculty found out about your gender, I can't accept you. You are a female after all, and with a criminal record. Yes, you have helped in multiple cases with befriending the inmates and handing us the intel, and you have stopped multiple fights, but I still can't accept you…"

The woman tilted her head down, gazing at the ground. A mix of emotions flooded her eyes as her face still remained calm.

"But…"

Hearing Momoko drag out the word, the woman picked her head up and gazed at the warden in curiousity.

"...The only thing stopping you is your gender." Said the guard as her lip twitched upwards. "But, you know how to manage with that well."

"So, does that mean…?" The woman's eyes widened in surprise.

"You can't be serious…?!" Exclaimed Kenshirou.

"You can be a guard of Nanba Prison, as long as you remain male." Stated Momoko as she smirked. "...Of course, with you being a former inmate, you have your own restrictions as well. You aren't an inmate here, but you aren't exactly a free citizen guarding the place. Do you understand where I'm getting at…?"

"Yes, ma'am…!" Nodded Alloisia.

Momoko kept her smirk as her eyes narrowed at her. "Welcome back to Nanba Prison, No. 7. I hope you get along with everyone…"

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	3. Chapter 3

"To think you of all people would come back…"

"And as a guard, too…"

"This is gonna be good!"

The Supervisors of all buildings were talking with each other in the meeting room, gazing at the person before them. They couldn't help but feel uneasy with the Warden's sudden decision. But nobody would question her decision, especially when she was sitting right before them.

Standing before multiple supervisors was Alloisia. She had cleaned herself up and put on the given uniform of the Nanba Guards. Carefully, she had used bandages from the infirmary to bound her chest carefully, trying to make it as flat as she could. Luckily she was able to find compression shirts and pants. She put those on, then a white button up shirt. After that she put that on she carefully put the black pants on. She tucked her shirt into her pants, following the uniform protocol, and carefully put the uniform on.

Once every button was in place, she then tightly wrapped her hair up high, tying it into a type of bun with a lot of her hair ends sticking out. She made sure that it was held down against her head well with black clips. She then placed the black officer hat over her hair, securing it carefully on her head. Gazing in the mirror, she looked anything but female. To make herself seem bulkier, she even placed in a type of shoulder pads and chest armor underneath her jacket.

She looked like an ordinary, American man.

"Whoa, she changed so quickly too, I'm impressed."

"Wait, that's a 'she'?!"

"Weren't you listening?"

"My, my~" Sang the Supervisor of Building 3, Kiji Mitsuba. "I'm impressed. She didn't even have to use cosmetics to look manly. But, she still has that girlish look to her. But, she does make for a handsome fellow!"

"Hi, Kiji." Greeted the girl in a casual but monotone manner.

"That's Mitsuba to you." He quickly said, his eye twitching slightly.

"Oh, right…" She mumbled to herself in thought. "A lot of you guys are Japanese, and this prison is Japanese themed, so I have to use everyone's last name from now on… Very different from America..."

"Ah, who cares about that." Samon spoke up, waving his hand as if to shoo the thought away. "He knows all the guard routines anyways, so he's not exactly a newbie at this."

"But, isn't polite to respect someone's wishes?" Alloisia turned to him and asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Eh… I forgot about that polite side of you…" Samon muttered, recalling his past encounters with her. "Just, don't do everything someone asks you to do, alright? You're not an inmate anymore, you're a guard. Remember that."

"Okay…" She nodded to him in understanding.

"You're never going to fool anyone if you keep talking like that." Kenshirou intervene, grabbing their attention. "If you speak so softly and in that high of a pitch then you might as well be saying goodbye to your job."

"Always so strict…" Murmured Alloisia as she deepened her voice slightly. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't underestimate my acting abilities, Kenshirou. I was able to fool your eyes and ears, or have you forgotten…?"

"That's Yozakura to you," growled the man.

"Sorry…" She instantly mumbled, dropping her act and apologizing.

"Don't apologize!" Samon exclaimed at her. "You don't always have to apologize for something you did, Nicci! Don't let everyone step on you so much!"

"Okay…" She mumbled and nodded to him.

Samon could only sigh and put his hand on his forehead. ' _She really hasn't changed…_ '

"That's right," Mumbled Kiji as he looked at Samon. "After her multiple Cell Hopping from building to building, she was originally placed under your building, correct? So you know her better than any of us here."

"Yeah, so where are you getting at here?" Samon asked.

"She, or shall I say 'he', is a new guards after all." Kiji smiled at him. "He should be placed under your care, shouldn't he?"

"No." Quickly spoke the Warden.

Everyone stiffened and looked towards her. She was so quiet the entire time they accidentally forgotten she was still in the room. Silenced, Momoko spoke up again.

"These are the guidelines you will be instructed under, Alloisia." Momoko said sternly. "Because of your past record, you will not be authorized into certain places. You will stay in one building unless given permission from your building Supervisor, understood?"

Alloisia nodded.

"This is the male ward, so you have to be careful." Momoko instructed her. "I could send you to the Nanba Female Prison, but from your past complaints, you just wouldn't 'fit in', correct?"

Alloisia nodded again.

"We can't have you get caught…" Muttered Momoko. "If somehow an inmate does find out, then we might just have to let you go. You know very well of how dangerous this prison is. Once a month, you will report to my office and give me a report on how you're doing. And don't make up any lies. I'll be talking with your Supervisor as well for a behavior check. Step out of line in any way and I won't hesitate taking your job away and kicking you right back into those cells. Your pay will be just like anybody else's, but I will be giving it to you by hand."

"My, my! That's a lot of guidelines for a newbie!" Exclaimed the prison's broadcaster, Mitsuru Hitokoe. He frantically patted her shoulder. "Shouldn't you be a little bit easier on 'im? He just got here, after all! Plus, look at this face!" He grabbed Alloisia's head and began smushing her cheeks. "Ain't she adorable, whether it be boy or girl!?"

"Hey, stop messing with that handsome face of his!" Kiji yelled and kicked Mitsuru away from the girl, only to hug her in a protective manner. "You might just ruin his adorable face with your disgusting hands!"

Alloisia whined softly, not enjoying the tight space in Kiji's arms. She may not feel many things, but she definitely didn't enjoy the sensation of being restricted. Momoko slammed her hand on the table, silencing everyone quickly. She eyed Kiji, signalling him to step away from Alloisia. Frightened, he complied and stepped a good few feet away from her.

"She isn't someone we can just shrug and take for granted." Momoko said sternly. "There's a reason for why she was directly placed into Building 5, or have you all forgotten that? She may have stopped her criminal doings, but she still has that record. She is to be watched, not adored like a doll. Alloisia will work as a guard, but only with this restraint on…"

Momoko lifted something from under the table. She firmly placed the box on top of it, looking straight at Alloisia. She then pushed the box, causing it to slide across the table top, right towards the girl. She grabbed it as soon as it came to her, not wanting for it to fall off. She opened the box and picked the item up, trying to understand what it was.

"Is that one of those weird ninja movie masks…?" Samon questioned.

"It's a human muzzle." Momoko answered, surprising the group. "This mask is a sort of… restriction. It will hide your lower face well, concealing you feminine features. Not only that, but it will react if you try to yank it off. The parts that wrap around your ears will dig themselves through your ears if you try pulling it off. If you try punching, scratching, or ripping of the mask without properly taking it off, it will cause you arm."

"Isn't that a bit brutal?!" Asked Mitsuru.

"She can handle it." Momoko said. "If not, then she can just give up her job…"

"You purposely planned this, huh…?" Alloisia questioned her, gazing up from the mask. "You want to make sure I'll be taking my job seriously, right? So you loaded a bunch of guidelines and gave me multiple restrictions to see if I can really handle this job…"

"Perceptive as always…" Momoko smirked.

"But wouldn't that be dangerous?" Questioned Kiji. "What if a prisoner were to act out and punch her mask? It would cause her double the pain. Is it truly necessary?"

"I-I've got to agree on this!" Samon spoke up himself. "I understand where you're coming from, ma'am, but isn't that a bit too cruel for him?"

"It's alright…" Muttered Alloisia. She placed the mask on and wrapped the hooks around her ears, hearing a clicking sound to signal it's in place. She lifted her head up towards the Warden.

Being muffled, she still spoke clearly through the mask."...What else is there?"

Everyone couldn't help but stare at her. She was very much serious about this job. Samon couldn't help but sigh again and rub his head. Just her being there was giving him a headache…

"Is there anything we should know about that isn't on your record?" Asked the Warden.

"...I don't believe so." Alloisia answered, putting to where her lips are and tilted her head. "Besides the HSAN, I'm just a normal human being…"

"Bullcrap!" Samon instantly shouted, clearly surprising Alloisia as her eyes widen. "Don't tell me you lost that ability because I know you didn't! You're still freakishly strong, aren't you?! No wonder you worked the heavy lifting on that farm you were working at before!"

"Oh, yeah… _that_ …" Muttered Alloisia as she had a deadpan expression. "I thought that would be in the files, though…"

"Do you know how hard it is to write down your freakish strength on paper?!" Samon stomped his foot on the ground. "Don't even get me started on how you almost destroyed one of your buildings because of two inmates fighting!"

"I thought we agreed to never mention that again." Alloisia said quickly, sweat beginning to form on her neck.

"Like hell I wouldn't!" Samon said, pointing his finger at her. "I know you better than anybody here, so if I get any complaints from the Supervisors then I'm going to have to punish you myself, got it?!"

She gave him a harsh look, annoyed that he was now pressuring her as well. Samon wasn't affected by it since he knew she was just annoyed. The warden gave out a sigh, causing everyone to look at her.

"You can't go by your full name." Momoko stated, getting everyone back on track. "Aloisia isn't exactly a name you should go by. Are your superiors, we will just call you by your last name for now on. Or… is there a name you can go by that you'll listen to?"

"Al. A lot of people who were close to me called me Al instead." Said Alloisia. "If anybody ask for a full name, you guys can go with Alan, I guess…" ' _My parents planned on that name if I ended up being a boy…_ '

"Alan it is then…" Momoko said and leaned onto the table, her smirk returning onto her lips. "For now on, you're Alan Agilful. You will remain under this Supervisor unless I say so. Please get along with them him…"

The room became silent. Everyone kept shifting glances, wondering who will get the extra work of a new guard. Alloisia just remained stoic, wondering who she will be put with. ' _I hope it's Samon… Over half of them hate me, and the others just want me for looks and what I'm capable of… Only Samon really knows me…_ '

"Your Supervisor is… Hajime Sugoroku."

"Huh…?"

Everyone's head turned towards the man named Hajime Sugoroku. Alloisia knew who he was since Samon always ranted and raved about him before. She recalls seeing him in action before. It actually made her nervous. She tried to conceal her shock as she gazed at the older man. He looked at the Warden in surprise.

"Wait, why me?" He asked her.

"Because, _Alan_ has a thing for troublemakers…" Replied the Warden. "I'm sure he'll be of great use for you. It's only been two years. I have faith that you can handle him on your own."

Hajime could only shift his attention onto Alloisia as she stood there. She held his gaze, neither backing down for a solid minute. Alloisia backed down, gazing at the table, and shifting the hat's visor to hopefully hide her eyes. Hajime could only sigh.

This was going to be rather troubling…

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	4. Chapter 4

' _How annoying…_ '

Hajime Sugoroku, Superviser of Building 13, could only sigh in annoyance. He glanced at the woman, now man, standing beside him. They were on the Nanba Loop Line, trying to get back to building 13. After being dismissed by the Warden, Alloisia, or Alan, had been following him like a shadow. It honestly creeped him out from how silent he was. He really was a shadow…

' _The guy doesn't talk at all… You would think she would at least say something, or ask a question…_ '

It took an hour before getting off of the transportation. The walked through the building, passing a few cells, and traveling through the long hallways. Alloisia kept gazing around, amazed with how much the place had actually changed.

"...Got any questions?" Hajime asked her.

"...Not really." She said. "But… Do you know anything else about this muzzle? The Warden said no harm will come to me if this thing isn't harmed…"

"Well, you won't be able to take it off yourself." Hajime said. "The thing's thumb printed, so only your Superiors can take them off. That would be me…"

"Wow, I'm impressed." She said and gently touched the mask. "This place is always advancing… It's actually startling…"

"I know I'm not supposed to, but…" Hajime looked over his shoulder and at her. "When night time comes, and when you leave the island, I'll take that mask off of you. It's bad enough they're pressuring you because of your past record, but that mask? I can't have my newbie unable to fight simply because of pain."

Alloisia smiled at him, not like he could see, but she was pleased. "Thank you. But, don't worry. Pain will be the last thing to stop me from fighting…"

"Uh, right, that HS… whatever you have." Muttered Hajime. "What exactly does that do? Do you need prescriptions and stuff?"

"No, not really." She replied. "HSAN prevents me from feeling things. I can't tell the difference from hot or cold unless it's extreme. Pain is a thing I can hardly feel. In order for me to actually _feel_ pain, I would would either have to be punched so hard my organs are crushed, or I would have to be stabbed."

"That bad, eh?..." Hajime looked at her in surprise.

"Yeah, but, it's not totally bad." She shrugged casually. "If I could feel pain, I wouldn't quite be able to have the abilities I have now… My hearing's sharp, as well as my eyes, and I can taste poison if somebody tries anything. It's neat…"

"What about smell?" Hajime asked.

"Actually, my sense of smell is quite terrible…" Alloisia admitted. "I believe it's because of my condition…"

"But yet you can taste and hear?" Hajime raised a brow at her.

"Well… My sense of taste is good, but not _extremely_ great." The woman tried explaining. "I've trained myself to recognize poison when I eat it. But, it's still tough compared to other people. My hearing… It's very possible that I may lose my hearing because of HSAN. So, I've trained myself so it's sharp, so that hopefully it won't completely disappear on me… That's just how it works…"

"That is pretty bad." Hajime nodded to her in sympathy. "...Will it affect your ability to run and fight if you must?"

"Not at all." She said, her voice becoming light as if enjoyed. "Fighting is all that I'm good for. I remember being in one of these cells… Some guys tried escaping but I broke my door down and stopped them. I remembered you got angry with me and hit me, heh. You guys didn't know about my identity then."

"Yeah, I remember that…" Hajime sighed deeply. "You gave me a heart attack…"

"Sorry." She said, her eyes showing amusement.

They kept advancing through the building. Once they got to the headquarters, or faculty office, Hajime opened the door and entered. Alloisia followed him, gazing around the room carefully. But her eyes stopped and landed on a blue haired boy that was sitting at a desk. He turned and greeted them with a smile.

"Oh, hello Supervisor! Was the meeting well?" He asked in a childish way.

"I guess you could say that…" Grumbled Hajime. He then jutted his finger at Alloisia. "This is a new guard that'll be working with us in the building. But they're on heavy restrictions, so don't allow them to access high status papers and files."

"Oh, okay…" Muttered the boy as his smile fell. He stood up and put he hand out to her. "I'm Seitarou Tanabata. Nice to meet you."

"Uh, you too." Alloisia said, her voice sounding very boyish, and shook his hand carefully. "Alan Agilful. But, you can call me Al if you want…"

"Just let me know if you have any questions." Seitarou said and smiled again. "I hope we get along."

"...Yeah." Alloisia, name Alan, nodded to him since she couldn't show a smile.

They released hands and Seitarou turned to get back to work. Hajime had already taken a seat at his desk and began to light himself a cigarette. He puffed out a bit of smoke before pointing to a very unoccupied desk.

"This'll be your desk." He told her. "Take a seat and begin going through those stacks of paper. Divide them into three piles. One for guards, another for inmates, and the last one for garbage. You can do that much, right?"

"Understood." Alan nodded his head.

He walked over and took a seat. He grabbed a packet of clipped paper, his eyes skimming and scanning the pages. As he did that, Seitarou couldn't help but eye him. There was just something… unsettling about the newbie. He figured it was the mask, but it didn't help him calm down. Seitarou went over to Hajime and decided to ask a few questions about the new guy.

"Excuse me, sir, but…" Seitarou grabbed his attention, trying not to grab the guy's attention. "What's with that mask on lan's face? It's kind of… scary looking."

"What? It's just a black mask." Hajime said, looking at Alan.

"Yeah, but… isn't it a bit strange?" Seitarou asked.

"It was given to him by the warden." Hajime stated. "That mask restricts him from doing things he's not supposed to. He has a criminal record, but was allowed to become a guard anyways. He can't take that mask off. If he even tries, the mask will activate and harm him. Only the Supervisors of Nanba can take it off."

"S-seriously?!" Exclaimed Seitarou. "I-is he s-safe…?!"

"Of course he is." Hajime said calmly. "He willingly asked for the job and proved himself to the Warden. He's got a lot of pressure on him because of his criminal record, but he can be relied on."

"O-oh… I see…" Seitarou relaxed.

Suddenly, a small beeping could be heard. Alan turned around, confused to what the noise was. Seitarou walked to his desk and picked up his phone and stopped the beeping.

"Sorry about that," he apologized to them. "Looks like I have to do my rounds."

"Actually…" Hajime placed his pencil down. "Seitarou, wait. Take Alan with you. Show him around the place and warn him about a few of the inmates. He needs to see the rest of the building, after all."

"A-are you sure, sir?" Seitarou asked, nervous about being alone with a criminal.

"Yes I'm sure." Hajime stated bluntly before looking at Alan, who was staring at him. "Alan, follow Seitarou around. You need to be shown around the place."

"Alright…" Mumbled Alan as he stood from his seat.

"J-j-j-just f-f-follow me…!" Stuttered Seitarou as he stiffly walked out of the office.

' _Is he okay…?_ ' Wondered Alloisia.

Either way, he followed behind Seitarou. As he followed him through the building, he noticed how nervous and jumpy Seitarou was. He was literally shaking as he walked. Alan wondered if her was okay, concerned if he should call for Hajime. He easily caught up with Seitarou and placed his hand on his shoulder. Seitarou yelped and jumped away from him, clearly startles, as he was still shaking in his place. Alan was surprised by this and was confused for his fearful expression. Isn't he a police officer?...

"U-uh, you okay, Seitarou…?" Alan asked him.

"U-u-um, y-y-yeah, I-I-I'm f-f-fine…!" Seitarou stuttered.

' _He's anything from fine._ ' Alan deducted. He sighed softly at him. "Calm down. I don't know why you're so jumpy, but you should take a breather. None of the inmates are going to respect you if you show them fear. You should calm down before we continue on.'"

"N-no, that's okay…" Seitarou said as he appeared to relax.

"Do some of the inmates make you nervous?" Alan asked.

"W-well, sorta, but that's normal for me…" Seitarou admitted, not gazing at his eyes.

"Then why are you so nervous?" Alan asked wait a raised brow.

"I-it's just…" Seitarou fidgeting with his hands, not locking eyes with the new guard. "Y-you make me nervous… having a criminal record and all…"

Alan sighed softly. ' _I knew it…_ ' Pushing away the sad little feeling in his chest, he lifted his hand up and gently patted Seitarous shoulder in a slow manner. Seitarou hesitantly looked up at him in confusion of the gesture.

"Don't worry, I'm on your side." Alan said softly as his eyes seemed to smile. "I've done my time and I've corrected the error of my ways. You might not trust me, and I understand why, but… please trust me enough to have your back. My goal is to be a guard, not an enemy. Please believe that…"

Seitarou stared at him for a moment. He smiled again and nodded. "Alright. I apologize if I caused any offense to you."

"Not at all." Alan lifted his hand and waved, as if to shoo the thought away. "I understand where you're coming from…"

"Now, let's go back to looking around the prison." Seitarou said. "There's still a lot for you to learn here. Just ask me if you have any questions, okay?"

Alan nodded to him.

Seitarou continued to lead the way around. Alan stayed behind him, just like he did with Hajime, and basically followed him like a shadow. His eyes kept looking at the cells, sometimes seeing the inmates. It made him recall his time here in Building 13 when he was a prisoner. ' _It's changed, but at the same time it hasn't…_ '

A loud sound of banged metal snapped Alan out of his thoughts. He also heard Seitarou yelp right after. Alan looked at him, startled from his scream, confused to why he screamed. He looked to his right to see four inmates at the bars, making scary faces, hissing and glaring at him. Already understanding the situation, Alan narrowed his eyes at the group.

"P-please… stay back…!" Seitarou said, his voice soft and full of fear.

The four inmates dropped their scary expressions and began snickering like a bunch of school girls. Alan crossed his arms, wondering why they had bones to pick with Seitarou.

" 'Please… stay back!' Haha!" Mocked one of the inmates.

"Five bucks he peed his pants!" Betted another.

"Layoff, would ya?" Alan spoke up, glaring at the bunch.

"Y-yeah!" Seitarou said as he tried to collect his confidence. "I don't have to take this!"

In a blink of an eye, the tallest inmate hit the bars and began yelling at Seitarou in an attempt to scare him. Needless to say, the poor guard fell backwards in fear. Alan could only sigh, wondering how on earth he became a guard.

"Knock it off!" Alan turned his head and yelled at the four, his voice being loud and deep, despite his mask.

"Who the hell're you?" Asked on of them, specifically the one with blond and pink hair.

"I'm on of the new guards here. Mind giving me your names?" Alan asked, eyeing each of them carefully.

"A newbie, eh?" Said the same inmate while smirking. "How about we play a round of poker and we can tell ya all you wanna kn—"

"No thanks." Alan instantly shot down without hesitation.

"You didn't even let me finish my sentence!" Yelled the inmate.

"I'll just ask Hajime for you files when I get back to the room." Alan said and gazed up at the plate above the cell door. "Cell 13, eh? I'll make sure that it's memorized…"

"What're you even doing following that wimp?" Asked an inmate with black hair, pointing at Seitarou.

"You insult him one more time and I won't hesitate to shut your mouth." Alan threatened, not at all liking their attitudes.

"I-it's fine, really!" Seitarou jumped his his feet and began to frantically wave his arms in front of Alan to distract him. "L-look, let's just ignore them and continue on, okay? There's still a lot for you to see…"

Alan gazed over his head and locked eyes with each inmate. He gave them one last glare before asking Seitarou to lead the way. The blue haired male turned and briskly began walking in a very stiff manner. Alan, dropping his glare and watching Seitarou, could only sigh at his figure. He could only stuff his hands into his pockets and begin following him while in thought. ' _He's a complete scaredy cat… I wonder how long he'll last in this Prison..._ '

"You need some confidence." Alan stated as they were in a different hall than before.

"I know…" Seitarou muttered. "I can't help it, though. Those four are the most troublesome inmates we have here in the building…"

"Why's that…?" Alan asked, raising a brow at him.

"They try escaping whenever they can." Explained the guard. "The big guy is No. 69, the short one is No. 25, the guy with the hat is No. 11, and then there's No. 15. Each of those guys are known for escaping their cells and past prisons. It's the very reason for why each of them are here. They're nothing but trouble…"

"Each of them are known for escaping, huh...?" Mumbled Alan before speaking towards Seitarou. "So, have they tried escaping from their cells?"

"Plenty of times." Admitted Seitarou. "They escape and try escaping the building constantly. But they've never been able to get past Supervisor Sugoroku. We never tell the Warden, though. If we did it would be our paychecks on the line if we did that. So, it's best if you don't either. Our Supervisor might punish you for it."

' _Sounds like Hajime…_ ' Sighed Alan. ' _This might be bad… The warden threatened to strip me of my job if I lied to her. But, since Hajime will be asked the same, he would be lying as well. But still…_ '

"I'm sure you'll do fine here." Seitarou said, catching Alan off guard. "You seem to know what you're doing. Sugoroku has a lot of confidence in you, so I believe I should as well. You faced against those four when they were mocking me, so I know you will do fine. Like you said, you just need confidence…"

Alan felt his eyes soften, feeling rather sympathetic towards Seitarou. He reached his hand out and gently wrapped his arm around his shoulders to hopefully cheer him up.

"Yeah, well…" Muttered Alan. "You're still pretty cool, Seitarou. You're technically my superior, and you've been around longer than me. Yet, even though you're scared, you still stay and do your job. That's an impressive right in itself. Don't let those guys get to your head, alright? They've got nothing that you have. Just believe in yourself sometimes, alright…?"

"...Yeah, thanks." Seitarou smiled up at him.

Alan smiled, not like he could see, but laughed lightly to hopefully cheer Seitarou up. They continued down the hall as the mood seemed to lift. ' _All you need is to believe…_ ' Alan thought to himself while frowning. His fist tightened without Seitarou knowing. ' _Believe… Yeah, right…_ '

.

.

.

.


	5. Chapter 5

_Poke. Poke._

 _Poke. Poke. Poke._

' _Huh…?_ '

Alan, who has been peacefully asleep, woke up to his forehead being poked. He opened his eyes to see Seitarou squatting down before him since Alan was sleeping on the couch. Alan grunted softly and sat up, now realizing that he passed out without taking any of his clothes off.

He placed his hands on his face to rub his eyes. But he noticed the absence of a certain object. He touched his lower face, only to realize the mask was gone. He doesn't remember taking it off, so he wondered if Hajime did it when he was asleep?

"Hey, did you stay here all night?" Seitarou asked.

"I… guess I did. Sorry." Apologized Alan. He glanced around the room. "Where's uh… Hajime?"

"He called in sick." Seitarou said.

"Sick?" Alan questioned in surprise. ' _I hope he doesn't have the mask… The Warden might screw me over if I'm seen without it…_ '

Looking back and forth, he spotted it right on the table in front of him. He grabbed the mask as Seitarou walked away and towards his desk. Carefully placing the strange yet cool material against his mouth, he carefully wrapped the hooks behind his ears, stopping when he heard the loud click. He sighed softly before look to Seitarou.

"So, if Hajime isn't here, who's taking his place?" Alan asked.

"Oh, that would be Yamato." Answered Seitarou. "Do you know him?"

"Yamato…?" Alan questioned as he thought. "That… sorta sounds familiar…"

Suddenly the door was kicked open, startling both men. They looked towards the door to see a very tall man in it's place. He stepped right into the room and began laughing. Both younger men sweatdropped at the very sight of the guard.

"Ha ha ha ha! My apologizes!" Bellowed the man in a friendly tone. "I tend to forget how strong I am once in awhile!"

"W-who…?" Alan could only stare at the man in shock.

"Yamato, this is our newest require, Alan." Seitarou said and then looked at him. "Alan, this is Yamato. He's our superior, and is temporarily replacing Hajime for today."

"Greetings! It is a pleasure to meet you!" Exclaimed Yamoto and jutted his hand out to him, grinning widely.

"U-uh, yeah, you too…" Mumbled Alan.

He grabbed his hand, a bit overwhelmed by his enthusiastic energy so early in the morning. Yamoto roughly shook his hand up and down, causing Seitarou to fear he might rip Alan's arm off.

"I'm glad we have a new pair of hands on deck!" Yamato exclaimed before finally releasing his hand. "Could you do me a favor?"

"U-uh, sure…" Alan muttered, staring at his hand. ' _My hand feels weird…_ '

"Could you go around the first section of cells and wake everyone up, please? It is almost time for breakfast!" Yamoto exclaimed.

"...Okay." Alan nodded.

"Here!" Yamoto grabbed a clipboard and jutted it out to him. "These are the names and cell numbers of each inmate! Please make sure they're all accounted for!"

Alan nodded again, carefully taking the clipboard. ' _I guess I have no choice now…_ '

Just as he heard Yamoto say something else towards Seitarou, Alan quickly escaped the office and stepped outside. He looked at the clipboard and sighed, feeling his breath bounce back at him thanks to the close contact of the mask.

Doing as Yamoto asked, Alan walked to each cell and made rollcall to each inmate. He made sure each one was accountable for before moving to the next cell. Most of the inmates didn't seem to care about him, but a few cursed at him. Alan wondered if they were doing it because they knew Hajime wasn't here. Not being affected by their crude language, he continued on. When he soon got to Cell 13, he couldn't help but eye it carefully.

' _These are the jerks who mocked Seitarou…_ ' He recalled as his eyes narrowed. ' _I'm sure they won't hesitate to try and irritate me. I have to remain calm, no matter what…'_

Taking in a deep breath, he stepped towards the cell. Using his outer fist, he banged against the door to grab the inmate's attention and, hopefully, wake a few stragglers.

"Rise and shine, boys." Alan called through the bars. "Roll call time!"

He heard a few groans, but continued on.

"No. 69!" He called.

"Here…" Groaned the big guy with the mohawk.

"No. 25!"

"Hehehe…" Giggled the smallest one, who still appeared to be sleeping.

"Please wake him up. It is close to breakfast after all. No. 11!"

"I'm here!" Yawned the guy with a gigantic braid. "No need for shouting…!"

"No. 15!"

No response came. Alan raised his brow in alarm.

"No. 15!" He called again, this time using more aggression.

A soft groan came from inside as his head popped up into Alan's sights. "Too loud… What's your deal Haji—"

The inmate's eyes shot open when he realized what guard was waking them up. The others, seeming to now realize this themselves, all gazed at her wearing the same expression of shock. Only No.15 snapped out of it quickly.

"Well well, looks like the newbie's back." He said and crossed his arms. "Is Hajime sending you out to do his dirty work?"

"First off, as a 'newbie', it is required of me to do morning roll call every now and then." Alan stated and he switched the papers. "Second off, Hajime is absent today. He's sick."

"Seriously…?" No.15 groaned and flopped back into bed.

"Aw, man. It's no fun when Hajime's not around…" Muttered No.11.

"Oh, don't worry." Alan said as he turned to the next cell. "We got a guy filling in for Hajime who'd be happy to pummel you guys if you do anything naughty."

"And who might that be?" Asked No.69 who seemed to almost sneer at him.

"His name is Yamoto, or something…" Muttered Alan while simultaneously reading the paper in his hand. "He's basically my higher up, but is ranked under Hajime. He's in charge for today."

"Oh god, not him!" Groaned No.11. "I swear if he makes us do morning training again I swear I will beat him myself! My arms can't take his hardcore training!"

"...Training…?" Alan questioned, gazing at No.11.

"Yeah, he's really serious when it comes to training." Spoke No.25, who now looked awake.

"He makes us do one thousand push ups, then one thousand sit ups, and _then_ he makes us run around the track until we hit one thousand km…" Grumbled No.69

Alan stiffened in shock as chills went up his spine. ' _I recall him now… No wonder he was so familiar…_ '

"It's terrible, am I right?!" Exclaimed No.11 who noticed Alan's expression.

"Yeah… It sounds it…" Alan agreed, secretly knowing first hand of his harsh training. ' _That man made me do fifty times the amount that he regularly does because he figured out my ability… Needless to say, he made me experience a new type of pain…_ '

"So, you gonna tell us your name or what?" Suddenly asked No.15.

"Huh...?" Alan looked at him in confusion since he snapped him out of thought.

"You said you were going to go into our files and figure out our names, right?" No.15 spoke again, looking almost annoyed. "You figure out our names. Mind giving us yours?"

Alan's lips pressed together in a flatline. As he thought about answering, he sighed softly and got himself to relax.

"Alan Agilulf. But, you can call me Al if you want…" Alan said, holding their gaze.

"Ah-gee-loaf?" No.15 tried pronouncing his lastname. "The hell is that from?"

"It's German..." Alan stated.

"Sounds like a type of bread…" Muttered No.69.

"...Heh." Alan smiled lightly in amusement. "Yeah. I actually get that a lot…"

"Wait, you're German?" Exclaimed No.25 as he came up to the bars, grinning. "That's pretty cool! I didn't know the name Alan was German!"

"It's not, actually." Alan corrected him in clear amusement. "Alan is more or less an early British or Celtic name. But, Agilulf is totally German. I'm actually American, but my father is from German while my mother is Italian."

"Now that's a pair of genetics!" Exclaimed No.11.

"Tell me about it," Alan said and laughed lightly. "I basically know every Italian and German curse words thanks to them. Holidays are great. A gigantic Italian dinner while we drink until we've emptied the bars. But, that is until you start a bar fight. So many angry Irish and German guys, _ugh…_ "

"That sounds awesome!" Exclaimed No.69.

"Sometimes it is…" Alan shrugged. "It humorous, actually. My dad gets drunk every holiday, and he's gotten drunk so much, that all of the local police stations know his name to heart. Not the greatest way to get the Police to know your family, but it's pretty hilarious sometimes."

"So your dad's a bit of a criminal while his son's a cop?" No.11 questioned before letting out a laugh. "Now that's hilarious!"

Alan nodded his head as he thought about it. "Not only that, but he was a cop himself, so it's double the hilarity."

"Seriously?" Asked No.15. "That's… pretty ironic."

"Yeah, my siblings get a good kick out of it." Alan smiled as he thought about his family. "We're not the greatest family in the world, and we're pretty big nutjobs, but we make it through just fine…" Alan then put on a poker face and hit his clipboard lightly. "Now, that's enough talk about myself. I need to finish up rollcall. You four wait here and we'll get out when breakfast is ready."

"Okay!" Happily exclaimed No.25.

Alan turned and went to the next cells. He smirked to himself as he walked. ' _Even though they aren't exactly fond of me, I at least got them to enjoy a bit of my story. Slowly I'll gain every ounce of their trust. Until then… I have to do my job._ '

.

"Wow, he's really making them go at it."

"Yeah, he is…"

Alan shivered at the sight of Yamoto forcing the inmates to do an extraneous amount of exercising that's practically inhuman. Seitarou and Alan was outside in the training area with them since they had to keep an eye on the other inmates. From what Alan understood, the four from cell 13 tried to escape but Yamoto caught them since he was literally in front of the door.

' _At least it explains the bumps on their heads…_ ' Alan though as he watched them.

"Hey, Alan, are you okay?" Seitarou asked him. "Your face looks pretty pale, are you alright?"

"U-uh, yeah…" Alan nodded before glancing back at Yamoto. "Yamoto's training looks pretty terrible… I wouldn't want to be victim to that…"

"Yeah, I can agree with you there…" Seitarou nodded as he looked at the inmates. "But, those four deserve it for being naughty like usual. They should just stay in their cells…"

"Hm…" Alan was now staring at Seitarou. "Have you guys figured out how those guys continuously keep escaping?"

"Well, we know _who_ , but we're not quite sure _how_." Admitted Seitarou. "No.15 has the ability to unlock any sort of lock possible. Shackles, chains—he can unlock them all. It's impressive if he only used it other than breaking out…"

"Really…?" Asked Alan in surprised. "That's impressive… I want to see hat for myself, but maybe another time. I've read his file and all, but I had no idea that could be a talent of all things…"

"Yeah, it really surprised us the day he first tried to escape." Seitarou said. "Ever since then we've never really had a break with their jail escapes…"

"Have they ever tried releasing other inmates?" Alan asked him.

"No, never." Seitarou shook his head. "But, they do sometimes escape into other cells to play with them or just be social. Supervisor Sugoroku always gets angry whenever they get out of their cells without permission…"

' _Yeah, I figured as much…_ ' Thought Alan. "...Guess we should be more alert for today with them. But, with Yamoto's exercises, I doubt they'll have enough energy left to even try and run…"

"True." Seitarou nodded in agreement.

' _Those guys are real troublemakers, huh? What else is there to expect when it comes to Building 13…_ '

.

"Ow ow ow ow ow…!"

"My everything hurts…"

"Yamoto's so cruel…!"

' _I can literally empathize with them even with my HSAN…_ '

As soon as lunch came around Yamoto ended their exercising. Now it was Alan's job to get these four to the cafeteria without any trouble. And through the entire time, they did nothing but complain. But Alan wasn't annoyed, though. He honestly knew where they were coming from, and even he complained when he spent his time here.

"Yo, Alan," called the familiar voice of No.11.

"Huh…?" He looked over his shoulder to him.

"Have you ever done training that extraneous before…?" The long haired male asked.

"Oh yeah, totally…" Alan nodded and paled, sweat dropping as he recalled the memory. "Yamoto is a very brutal, brutal man…"

"Wait, how would you know that?" Asked No.15. "You've only been here for a day, right? You make it sound like you been through it before."

"That's because I have." Alan stated bluntly. ' _The Warden said that they couldn't know I was a woman. Never said anything about being a criminal…_ '

"Really? When did you do that?" Asked No.25.

"Well…" Alan looked over his shoulder as his eyes shined in mischief. "Let's just say I'm not your average jail guard…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" No.15 asked, looking unimpressed by him.

"It means…" Alan looked in front of him. "I was a prisoner of Nanba Prison myself."

"SAY WHAT?!" All of them exclaimed.

"Ha ha, funny joke, dude." No.15 said, clearly doubting Alan's claim.

"Yeah, that's hilarious!" No.11 began laughing a fake laugh. "I mean, having their own prisoner become a guard? Isn't that illegal, hehe…?"

"Why do you think this thing's on me?" Alan turned his head towards them, gesturing to his mask. "This isn't a regular mask. It's ' _special'_...! Punishes me if I break any of the harsh guidelines given to me."

"What you'd do to get placed in Nanba?" Asked No.69.

"Plenty of shit, to be honest." Alan stated and shrugged nonchalantly. "I've stolen stuff, vandalized some stuff, fought the officers when being arrested, harmed a few people—there's plenty of stuff I've done. But the main reason I got kicked into Nanba was that I broke out of jail…"

"How'd ya do it?" No.25 asked. "Did you pick the locks?"

"No…" Alan replied as he thought back to it. "After a day of being there, when the clock hit lunch, I knocked the guards out and stole their keys… But, I had to break the doors down because the surveillance cameras caught me, putting the security bars down to prevent my escape. I eventually made it out and ended up on the run…"

"But you got caught." No.15 stated bluntly, causing Alan to nod.

"Yeah. Damn hounds got me, heh." Alan let out an amused huff. "I was… In a really dark place back then. I was fifteen then. Once I was recaptured, they put harsh restrains on me and sent me to Nanba. But… I was more trouble than I was worth…"

"What happened?" No.11 asked.

"Sorry, that's for another time!" Alan turned to them, appearing to smile, as his emotionless tone became light hearted. "I can't let the readers learn about me on the fifth chapter only! That's poor writing. Gotta keep them wanting more, after all!"

"C'mon, man!" Whined No.11. "It was just getting gooood!"

"Yeah, well, we're already at the cafeteria." Alan stated as he went back to his usual monotone self. "You guys are still on a bit of a timer, right? Back when I was here they only allowed us an hour to eat before kicking us out."

"Only an hour?!" Exclaimed No.69 in shock. "That's horrible! It takes that long to just get our food!"

"Wait, they extended the times…?" Alan asked, looking surprised. "Wow, this place changed a lot…"

"I'll say!" No.69 said and held his fingers up. "We're only allowed a maximum of three hours if we wanted. But there's so many inmates here that it's more like one and a half."

"Are you serious?" Alan's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow… That's a lot more than my time here. Wonder if the chief's turned soft…"

"You're a guard here yet you don't know that much?" No.11 said, causing Alan to frown at him.

"I'm a guard with high restrictions. Plus, Seitarou trusts me a little bit, but he's still pretty fearful of me." Alan explained. "I would ask Hajime, but he's sick still. And Yamoto's… eh… _Yamoto_. He's not a bad guy, but he's got way too much energy for me to handle…"

"My condolences." No.11 put his hand on Alan's shoulder as if he understood.

"Anyways," No.15 walked by them, hands behind his head, as he looked bored still. "We only have so much time in the cafeteria. Let's eat something, I'm starving…"

"Oh yeah, I think we're having ramen today!" Excitedly exclaimed No.69 and quickly followed him in.

"Yay! Japanese ramen!" Cheered No.25 as he skipped on in.

"Hey, Rock, if I can beat you in a round of poker I get your bowl of ramen." No.11 called and followed them in.

"Like hell I'd agree to that!" Yelled inmate No.69. "I'll never bet my food on ramen day!"

' _...What a strange bunch…_ ' Alan thought and watched them walk in.

Alan stepped into the cafeteria and stayed against the wall, watching the inmates carefully. The staff of officers was very minimum, which was very surprising. Before there used to be guards all over the walls, sometimes even walking in between the aisles to make sure no funny business was going on. Now there was only a maximum of four, and that included himself.

' _What's with this prison…?_ ' Alan asked himself. ' _Giving more lunch hours, having fewer guards around—seriously, what the hell. Is Nanba becoming soft…?_ '

A loud bang caught his attention.

His head whirled around, startled out of his thoughts from the sound. Standing at one of the tables was a very, very, large man. He had slammed something down on the table before looking down at the inmates and nodded to them.

The man walked away, revealing he had placed a large bowl of icecream in front of one of the inmates. Even the inmate's eyes were wide in shock. He then called out to the guy, who apparently looked like a chief, and thanked him for the desert.

' _So that would explain why…_ ' Alan realized until he caught sight of the guy's face. ' _Hold up. Is that…?_ '

A smile took place on his face in realization. He quickly left his post and rushed towards the man who was multiple times his height and size. He stopped once he got into his view, standing in the man's way. He gazed down at him, his looming form rather intimidating, as he looked almost pissed off. Alan took his hat off, revealing his tied hair, and greeted the man.

"Sorry for stopping you when you probably have plenty of work on your hands." Alan said to the man. "But I just had to see that familiar face of yours. Would the lastname Agilulf ring any bells, Shiro…?"

The large man's eyes widened, breaking his normal stoic expression. He lifted his hand up and patted Alan's head, causing the guard to laugh.

"Man, I forgot how huge your hands are!" Alan exclaimed when he drew away. "Never thought I'd see you back here. Let me guess, you came here because of Old Man Chief, right?"

Shiro nodded his head, huffing in contentment.

"That's awesome, man!" Alan said, sounding like an excited little kid. "I never thought a fellow prisoner would come back here. Guess I was wrong. If it isn't obvious, I'm here for being a guard, too. Give the Old Man my regards, 'kay? I bet with your help around here the foods been turned up a notch, eh?"

Shiro nodded to him again. Alan stepped out of the way, allowing the older man to get back to his job. He watched him walked back into the kitchen and quietly snickered to himself.

' _I'm glad he got the job! Good for him!_ ' Alan thought before calmly placing his hat back on his head.

Turning around, he began walking back to his post, unaware of all the burning gazes of the inmates. They all seemed a bit surprised and curious by that 'friendly chat' the new guard had with Shiro. But the inmates of cell 13 couldn't help but stare at him in shock.

"Did… Did Shiro just show that guy affections…?" Questioned No.15, who's known as Jyugo.

"Y-yeah, he did!" Softly exclaimed No.11, also known as Uno.

"I don't think I've ever seen Shiro look so surprised before!" Said No.15, or Nico.

"He sure seemed happy about that guy." No.69 added with a grin. He was called Rock. "Shiro never really touches anybody. It's rare to see him touch anybody else they're causing trouble. He must really like that guy."

"If Shiro knows him, then I guess he wasn't lying about being an inmate here…" Murmured Jyugo, looking over his shoulder at Alan. "What's up with that guy? I guess I can understand Shiro's reason, but what's his?"

"I'm wondering that myself." Uno said before grinning. "Guess we just have to find out. That guy's pretty talkative for being so soft spoken. Shouldn't he be more defensive about giving his personal life to the inmates?"

"Yeah, that is kinda weird." Rock agreed. "Think he's up to somethin'?"

"I like him!" Nico said with his usual grin. "He's a lot nicer than Hajime, and he isn't easy to scare like Seitarou. Plus, from what he told us he sounds kinda like us, don't you think?"

"What? As if." Jyugo said before giving the group a mischief smirk. "Say… He's new, right? So he shouldn't have a well enough knowledge of the place. Why don't we have another breakout and see what this guy can do."

"But Hajime isn't back." Uno stated. "It's not fun without him around, though. Plus, thanks to Yamoto's training I can barely feel my legs…"

"Yeah, my arms are still throbbing." Nico added, looking at his arms.

"Aw, come on!" Groaned Jyugo as he place his head on the table.

"How 'bout tomorrow?" Rock suggested. "Hajime will be back and we won't be so sore by then. I hope this new guy knows how to take a punch."

"Let's see if he can get past my gambles," smirked Uno.

"He read our files, but I bet he doesn't know enough about my diseases!" Nico added, grinning with everyone else.

"Let's see what this newbie can do…" Jyugo lifted his head, his smirk now on his face, as he gazed back at the unsuspecting man.

' _...Hey, I still have that new chief's clever!_ ' Alan thought to himself silently. ' _I can give it to Shiro as a present! Man, this day just keeps getting better and better…!_ '

.

.

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	6. Chapter 6

"Oh, good morning Hajime. How're you feeling?..."

"Better than yesterday, I'll say that…"

"That's good…"

The Supervisor of Building 13 of Nanba Prison had finally returned from his day away because of a cold. Seitarou already greeted him, and Alan just spoke up. Yamoto, well… He has yet to be seen, but Hajime could honestly care less. When he put his bag down he looked back at Alan, seeing the mask still tightly on his face.

"Did you just put that on?" Hajime asked.

"No. I placed it back on yesterday as soon as I woke up." Alan answered before turning in his chair to look up at Hajime. "I apologize for falling asleep here then. I should've just went home but I didn't because of my first day…"

"It hasn't been hurting you, has it?" Hajime asked.

"Not in the slightest." Alan shook his head. "I kinda forget it's there…"

Hajime hummed and nodded. But his eyes didn't leave the mask. Sighing to himself he walked over to Alan. He just gazed at him, wondering what he's doing. Hajime bent down, being as tall as he was, and put his hands carefully on the mask.

How the mask was is that it is made from a special type of metal that was flexible, but was hard to pierce. It resembled a type of 'ninja mask' as Samon had questioned at the meeting. But, at the very end of the sides of the mask was a circular contraption that was located just before the tragus of the ear. The circular contraption was technically the main core of the machinery and had an electronic blue outline that glowed a bit. From the circular piece had the hook attached to it. When taken off, the hook curls into the thick circular piece.

Hajime pressed his hands against the circular piece, waiting until he heard a loud clicking sound. He watched as the hooks lifted off of the back of Alan's earlobes. He took the mask off of Alan and saw his surprised expression.

"You had this thing on all day and night, yeah?" Hajime placed the mask down on his desk. "Figured you could take a break. Put it back on when you have to leave the office, alright? Both of us will get in trouble if it's seen off of you."

"Right… Thank you…" He thanked Hajime and nodded his head in gratitude.

Hajime sat back down at his desk without another word to him. He gazed at a few of the papers, wondering how much he had missed. He looked up at Seitarou, who was basically right across from him, and spoke up to him.

"Did anything happen while I was gone?" Hajime asked.

"Well, not anything bad." Seitarou answered. "The inmates from Cell 13 tried to escape, but Yamoto caught them and punished them like you do. They trained for five hours before Alan took them to lunch. After that he brought them back and they stayed in their cells. Other than that, they behaved well for once."

"At least they didn't escaped any farther than their cells…" Hajime sighed deeply. "Even when I'm away they cause nothin' but trouble…"

"I can at least say I think they kinda have a liking to me." Alan spoke up as he walked by Hajime with a bunch of papers in his hands. "They definitely don't trust me yet, but I'm slowly gaining their trust…"

"I'm unsure if that's a good or bad thing…" Hajime muttered.

"When have I ever betrayed you, Hajime?" Alan asked in a joking manner, but it sounded like he was serious.

"Ever since you broke a door down in rage and tried to hit me with it." Hajime stated with an agitated undertone.

Alan flinched at his statement, recalling the memory. He felt embarrassed at the thought of it. He looked back at Hajime, pouting slightly, as he looked rather guilty.

"T-that was a dark time for me back then, alright…?" Alan softly mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah, I know your story." Hajime waved at him to signal to leave it alone. "You forget that I was the one to actually figure your background out back when you were in my cells."

Alan was silent after that. Hajime did have a point. But he wasn't too fond of the memories. He placed the papers down before grabbing a new stack and returning to his desk. Once he sat back down he wiped his lower face with the upper sleeve of his jacket. Have that mask on for more than 24 hours left his face with sweaty residue from breathing, talking, and almost caused him to drool a few times. It was like having foggy water goggles on for too long. To be honest, it was pretty gross.

Taking in a deep breath, finally being able to breathe properly, he began his new stack of paperwork. He was like that for a while until he heard the sound of the door opening and closing. Gazing over his shoulder he could see it was Yamoto who entered, not wearing his usual uniform, and looking very sweaty.

"Good morning, sir!" Greeted Yamoto to Hajime. "Good to see you back to your usual healthy self!"

"Same to you, Yamoto…" Murmured Hajime as he lit up a cigarette.

"I just finished my morning exercises, so I will take a quick shower and get back to work!" Promised Yamoto as he marked merrily towards his lock.

Once he gathered his needed items, he marched out of the room. When he opened the door he stopped and greeted someone at the door.

"Oh! Why hello there, No.15! If you will excuse me, I must take a shower!" Yamoto said.

"Yeah, okay." Replied a familiar bored tone.

Instantly the other three guards became alarmed by what Yamoto said. Alan whirled around in his seat, quickly becoming on guard. As Yamoto walked out, walking into the office was inmate No.15. He had his signature hands behind his head, looking bored as ever, before turning to a shocked Hajime.

"Good to see you back, Hajime. It's boring without you around." Spoke the inmate.

"WHAT'RE YOU DOING OUT OF YOUR CELL?!" Screeched Hajime in anger.

"I wanted to see if you were here today, you should be grateful." No.15, or Jyugo, answered with a smirk. "Escaping with you gone is useless, so I had to make sure you were here for today."

In a flash Hajime shot up from his desk, dashed towards the inmate, and punched him right in the head. Jyugo groaned loudly, now lying on the ground in pain, as a clear bump quickly formed on his head. Alan was startled by the action, forgetting about Hajime's infamous hair trigger temper.

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT'S BORING! YOU'RE SUPPOSE TO BE IN YOUR CELL AND STAY THERE, YOU DAMN BRAT!" Bellowed the Supervisor. "IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN AN HOUR OF ME BEING HERE AND YOU'RE ALREADY CAUSING TROUBLE! AT LEAST WAIT UNTIL THE AFTERNOON, IT'S TOO EARLY FOR YOUR TROUBLE MAKING ANTICS!"

"Yeah… Good to have you back…" Groaned Jyugo as he got back onto his feet. "I definitely didn't miss that inhuman strength of yours, though…"

"You annoying little…!" Hajimed growled and got the inmate into a headlock. He turned to his other guards as both of them had sweatdrops on their heads. "You two stay here. Check the surveillance and see if the others are gone. I'll be taking this little shit back to his cell…!"

"Y-yes, sir!" Replied Seitarou.

Without another word, Hajime stomped out of the room with a struggling Jyugo. Alan slowly turned back to his work, still semi in his frozen state, as he tried processing what happened. ' _...Maybe I should've stayed on the farm…_ '

.

It was quiet in the guard's office.

Too quiet…

Hajime was suspicious of the quietness of the place, but he tried to shrug it off and label him being paranoid. But still… It was just strangely quiet. Periodically he would get up from his desk and walk the halls, specifically keeping an ear out for Cell 13. But whenever he walked by he usually heard their usual obnoxious banter. He would keep in the cell every now and then, seeing that each inmate was accountable for. He would then proceed with his parole, only to find himself seated back at his desk while the suspicion was eating him away.

Eventually he sighed again and tried to coax himself to relax. He just got back from being sick, he told himself repeatedly. He was probably just feeling uneasy because the remanence of the bug is still there in his stomach. He just had to breath and calm down. There's nothing to worry about…

"Greetings, everyone!" Exclaimed none other than Yamoto as he came back into the room. "I have taken care of the much needed attention to the problem with the Cell door 17! On my way back I greeted the boys from Cell 13! Ha ha! Such young men. I think I'm finally turning them into gentlemen!"

"Really? What makes you say that?" Softly asked Seitarou.

"Because the boys informed me that they were going on a wonderful walk to stretch their legs!" Informed Yamoto. "I believe my training has finally gotten ahold of them, haha!"

"WHAT!?" Shouted Hajime as the other guards stiffened at the news.

"They were out of their cell?" Alan asked as he was clearly alarmed.

"Why, yes, yes they were." Answered Yamoto. After a moment his smile fell as if realization finally hit him. "Wait… Those boys aren't authorized to leave their cells, are they?"

"NO!" All three of them shouted at Yamoto.

"I knew the calmness was too good to be true!" Hajime exclaimed as he began typing away at the computer. "Seitarou, get to the surveillance cameras and figure out where they are!"

"Yes sir!" Exclaimed the officer as he disappeared from the room.

"Yamoto, it's your fault those brats escaped." Hajime growled at him. "Go apprehend them at once!"

"Of course, sir!" Saluted Yamoto before rushing out of the room.

"Alan, get to your feet!" Hajime ordered as Alan already was standing. "Looks like you're going to be seeing some action for today. We can't allow those four to get outside, especially since the sun is still out! Follow me."

"Yes, sir." Alan nodded.

Hajime marched to the camera room where Seitarou was while Alan followed closely behind. They entered the dark room while Seitarou just finished giving instructions to the officers of Building 13. Alan's eyes gazed at the multiple cameras as he wondered where those four were.

"Where are they?" Hajime growled.

"They're past Block 11. I've already closed Block 12 and trying to get them towards Block 17 instead." Informed Seitarou.

"They're fast…" Alan commented as his eyes kept darting towards different screens.

"Yeah, well, we're faster…" Hajime muttered at him as he glared at the screen. "There they are…"

They all looked towards one of the center screens. The four inmates were running through the hall, only for No.11 to stop the group. He took out a type of card and flung it, revealing the hidden electric floor. No.15 walked over to the wall, tracing his hand around it. Suddenly a control panel revealed itself and his hands flew across the keys. He looked at his accomplices and smirked, giving them a thumbs up. All four of them advanced, getting past the security.

"A-are you kidding me…?" Alan gaped in shock, stepping forwards as they appeared on another camera. "How the hell did he figure that out so quickly?"

"Beats me." Seitarou said and he began to flip switches. "They're entering into an open area around Block 18. Thankfully a lot of the guards are there so they should be stumbling upon them at any moment."

"That's your que." Hajime ordered and placed a hand on Alan's shoulder. "Get in there and stop them. Knock 'em out if you have to. We can't allow them to advance any further. Just try not to bring the building down with you…"

"Got it." Alan nodded curtly and turned towards the door. "Leave it to me…"

As soon as he was out of the office he began running down the hallways very quickly. He was sprinting through the place, trying to get to Block 18, and hopefully in time before those four get through. Seitarou kept his eyes on the monitors, but was surprised with how fast Alan was hopping from monitor to monitor.

"W-whoa, he's fast…!" He said in surprised.

"There's a reason for why the Warden trusted him enough to become a guard." Hajime said and smirked. "Looks like he hasn't changed a bit from his time in Nanba…"

It took a while, but Alan found his way in Block 18. He entered into the room, just in time to see the last guard get knocked down by No.69 aka Rock. Alan growled softly under his breath, annoyed that they got through the guards. He walked into the room, his echoing footsteps grabbing their attention, as he began adjusting his gloves.

"Well, well, looks like they sent the newbie." No.11, Uno, spoke up with a sly grin on his face. "Are they even trying anymore?"

"I was hoping we'd bump into him soon." Said No.15, or Jyugo as he's called. "It wouldn't be as fun if they didn't send him…"

"Looks like you wanna brawl too, eh?" Challenged Rock as he held his fists up.

"Hi Alan!" Greeted No.25, known as Nico, as he waved at him. "Could you let us go by?"

"You four have caused quite a stir tonight, don't you think?" Alan spoke in a deadly calm voice as he advanced slowly towards them. "It's the middle of the sun setting, you know. Don't you think it would've been smarter if you waited until midnight…?"

"We got impatient." Replied Jyugo as he shrugged. "You're a pretty strange guy, you know. You made us so interested in you that we just _had_ to come and see you for ourselves."

"Yeah. It's pretty interesting for a former criminal to become a guard, you know." Uno said and made a face at him. "If you couldn't stay away then why couldn't you do more crimes, eh? Where's that mask of yours anyways? Don't tell me you're ' _getting serious_ '."

"You boys don't know anything, do you…" Alan scoffed at them as he began pulling his gloves off. "How sad. If you did I bet you would've thought twice before acting like you did."

"You act like such a big shot after just being here for only three days." Jyugo rolled his eyes at him. "You might've read our files, but that doesn't mean you know the whole show."

"I think I know plenty enough." Alan stopped walking and dropped his gloves on the ground. He rotated his neck, hearing the satisfying cracks. "You're morons for believing you can escape Nanba Prison so easily." He lifted his hand and pointed at them. "I'm giving you one last chance. Now be good boys and go back to your cell…"

"No thank you!" Rock yelled and ran at him.

Alan put his hand down and allowed Rock to come at him. Having his arm recoiled back, Rock swung his fist at full force, his knuckle slamming right into his jaw. Alan head twisted around, the force being enough to knock Alan off of his feet. He flew back and hit the ground without a moment later. The group could only stare in slight shock.

"Oh, come on!" Rock whined. "That wasn't even a fight!"

"All talk and no bite, eh? That's sad." Jyugo commented.

"Hahaha! K.O.!" Uno exclaimed while laughing. "That was the saddest thing I've ever seen!"

"Looks like Rock was a bit too hard on him." Commented Nico.

After a few comments here and there, they didn't realize Alan's twitching body. He curled his arms up, placing his hands on either side of his head. With his feet pressed together tightly, he picked himself onto his hands and pushed against his arms, pushing himself into the air. He got his feet under him quickly and was now standing back on his feet.

Hearing the echo of his feet hitting the ground, their comments stopped as they stared at him. Alan's visor was concealing his eyes while he rotated his shoulders around, the loud cracking echoing in the room. Just him standing there quietly, allowing his shoulders to crack, was rather unsettling.

"I guess you're tougher than you look." Jyugo smirk returned. "I was hoping you could give us more of a show."

"Hey, you cracked your shoulders enough. You might just break them if you keep that up." Uno said as he was becoming uncomfortable with the noise.

"Ready for a rematch?" Rock asked in a taunting manner.

"Oh, the match never ended…" Said Alan in a deadly calm voice.

The group stopped, their smirking features falling. Something just wasn't right with how Alan sounded. Usually his tone revealed no emotions. But now… He sounded utterly serious with a hint of something else—that something else was smugness.

Alan adjusted his hat to reveal his eyes. His irises were now smaller than normal while his eyes were wide open. But the thing that gave them chills was the sudden, large, toothy grin that was on his face. His teeth looked sharp and pointed while his eyes were trained on them. The group shivered as they felt the sudden murderous intent that could rival that of Hajime's.

" _Idiots…_ " Alan hissed at them as his shoulders bounced up and down like he was giggling. "Did you _really_ believe that one puny punch could knock me out? It was like a fly landed on my cheek."

"Puny…?" Rock growled as he was clearly insulted.

"I'll show you why you shouldn't mess around…" Alan brought his fist up, his smirk never faltering. "Come on, Rocky! Do you even call that a punch?"

"You asked for it, Bastard!" Rock shouted and ran at him again.

Once again, Alan allowed Rock to come to him. The inmate swung at Alan again, just like he had before. Except this time, Alan stopped his fist. The sounds of his knuckle slapping against his palm echoed, shocking the entire group. Rock could only stare at Alan in wide eyes, confused to why his fist was stopped so easily. Alan's giggle filled the air as he glared sharply at Rock, causing the younger male to begin to sweat nervously.

"Pa-the-tic~!" Sang Alan. His voice suddenly got deeper when he spoke his next sentence. "I'll show you a real punch."

Without even a moment's hesitation, Alan punched Rock in the chest with his free hand. Rock was shot off of his feet, fly back until his back hit the wall. His friends could only gaze at Rock in shock. They watched as their friend bounced off of the wall and onto his knees, only to fall onto the ground as he became unconscious. The group turned their heads to see Alan walking towards them.

"Wow, he didn't last very long." Alan laughed. "You boys could escape all those traps, knock all of these guards out, but you're not strong enough to at least slow me down? That's pretty pathetic… Oh, come on. Where's all that big talk you were all saying before? Cat got your tongue~"

"You bastard…!" Uno growled at him.

"H-how did you…?" Jyugo could only mumble in shock.

"G-g-guys…!" Squeaked Nico. "W-w-w-what should we d-d-do…?!"

"I have an idea!" Alan quickly stood before Nico, towering over him with ease, as his smile never left his face. "...How about you go to sleep~"

Nico squeaked again before fainting on the ground from fear. Alan looked at the other boys. Clearly enraged Uno ran at him with a war cry, his fists in the air, prepared to punch Alan's face in.

As he got close and swung, Alan dodged his attack and moved behind his back in a flash, karate chopping the back of his neck. Uno released a choke sound before passing out on the ground. Alan looked at the last one standing, seeing Jyugo's shaken form. He walked towards him in a rather taunting manner.

With each step taken, Jyugo stepped back. Step by step, Alan backed Jyugo into a wall. The inmate because to break out in a cold sweat, trying to think of a way to either attack or run. But he was unable to come up with anything as Alan stood right in front of him, inches away from his body. Jyugo could only stare up at him as his hands were secretly shaking.

"You're pretty impressive, you know…" Alan spoke softly, his voice not sounding demonic anymore. "Unlocking all those traps… Leading the way for your friends. It's remarkable, actually. But…" Alan's smirk grew, as if that was possible, and glared down at his shaking form. "...I'd like to see you get out of this trap…"

Not even allowing Jyugo to open his mouth, Alan brought his head down and slammed his head against Jyugo's forehead. Jyugo cried out in pain, only to fall to the side. Before he could hit the ground, Alan caught him with one arm. Alan giggled softly at his unconscious form.

"I win~" He sang.

Of course, no one could respond.

As the room got quiet, Alan's smile fell and the deadly look in his eyes fled. His face was emotionless, stoic as ever, as if a switch had been flipped off. He carefully put Jyugo on his shoulder and went over to Nico. One by one, he picked up each fallen inmate. Step by step, he back making his way back to Cell 13. Nico and Jyugo were on his right shoulder while Uno was under Alan's left arm while his left hand was latched onto the back of Rock's jumpsuit as he dragged him.

The camera room was quiet. Seitarou was shaking in his seat, horrified by the scene he just saw. Tears pricked the corner of his eyes as he couldn't believe what he just witness. He looked up at Hajime to see the man smirking calmly.

"He really hasn't changed, eh?" Hajime turned and began to exit the room. "I'm surprised he held back."

With that said, he exited the room, closing the door on his way out. Seitarou released a shaky breath as he looked back to the monitors in horror.

"...H-held b-b-back…?"

.

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	7. Chapter 7

"Seitarou, how're the inmates in cell 13?"

"Well, they're behaving, sir…"

Three days has passed since the recapture of cell 13. They have been rather quiet, staying in their cells, and they haven't tried escaping once. Alan hadn't visited them since Hajime gave him a rather unhealthy pile of paperwork to keep him away from the inmates. After seeing Seitarou's terrified expression of being around Alan from that day he decided that he might've gone a little too far.

Alan began the paperwork and was just one paper away from finishing it. As soon as he had finished that one page his head hit his desk in exhaustion. He hadn't moved from his desk since then and was powering through it. Seitarou had been startled by the loud noise and asked Hajime what was wrong with him.

"Oh, him?" Hajime looked at Alan before sighing. "He probably went down from exhaustion. I haven't seen him move from that spot since I've given him those papers, so he probably stayed there and powered through the work. The idiot probably ran out of batteries…"

"W-what do you mean by that…?" Seitarou asked softly.

"Alan isn't 'normal,'" replied Hajime. "He's got this type of handicap that doesn't allow him to feel things. Whether he touches ice from antarctica or places his hand in a roaring fire—he can't feel it. It's like his nerves aren't there. It's the reason for why he can jumped back onto his feet so quickly in a fight. He can't feel any pain. But because he can hardly feel anything he tends to forget to eat, gets himself injured a lot, sometimes forgets his own strength, and is his own natural problem."

"W-will he be okay?" Seitarou asked in concern.

"Yeah, he'll be fine." Hajime said calmly. "Let 'im rest and give him breakfast or something. He was like that when he was an inmate. He'll be fine."

"Sir…" Seitarou spoke quietly, looking rather nervous. "Just… why was he sent to Nanba prison?"

"Why? There's plenty of reasons why." Hajime popped a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. "He's the most human and inhuman being you'll ever meet."

Seitarou didn't feel comforted by that response.

The guards left Alan alone until he woke up on his own. Two hours passed with him sleeping and he woke up to find his mask gone. Hajime felt it was best to take it off of him since he didn't want him to stupidly hurt himself by accident. Being slightly groggy he got to his feet, went to his locker, and went for a shower.

Of course he was as fast as he could. He is not legitimately a 'he' after all. Once he cleaned himself he got all his layers back on and went to the cafeteria. He hadn't had a bite to eat for over three days, after all. After his stomach was filled he went back to the office.

Through the day he kept rubbing the back of his neck, his hands going up and down and left and right. It was a nervous habit he did when he had something eating away at him. And it didn't go unnoticed.

"Is… Is everything okay, Alan?" Seitarou had asked him. "You keep rubbing your neck like you're in pain…"

"Oh, that…" Alan muttered and retracted his hand. "It's just a habit of mine… It's nothing, I promise. I'm completely fine…"

"O-okay…" Seitarou nodded and went back to work.

After another hour of work, Hajime said he had to go and meet with the Warden. After he left, Yamoto hadn't came back from yesterday. Alan kept doing his work with his mask off and stayed cooped up into the office. Eventually Seitarou got up and grabbed his attention.

"Hey, Alan."

"Hm…?"

"I'm going to go get lunch." Seitarou informed him. "I'll be as fast as I can and I'll get back here. Do you think you can hold the office being alone?"

"Yeah, of course…" Alan nodded to him. "I'll stay in the office until you return."

"Alright." Seitarou nodded and stopped at the door. "I suggest you keep an eye on the surveillance cameras just in case. Oh, and if any of the inmates escape, contact the Supervisor on the radio. But, with your ability, I bet you can catch them without help…"

Alan's lips pressed hard together, sensing Seitarou's nervousness. Alan scared him. That he knew well enough. Not pointing it out, Alan just nodded softly before gazing back at his desk. With nothing else said, Seitarou left the room.

Once the door was firmly closed, Alan could only sigh and hang his head. His hands found their way onto the back of his neck as he began to rub all around the area. The feeling he felt was something he was used to feeling. Guilt. Shame. If anything it was probably the only emotions he could 'feel'. With a history like his, it was understandable why that is.

"Huh, so I guess you weren't lying about being an inmate." A sudden voice spoke behind Alan.

Instantly becoming alarmed, Alan shot to his feet and whirled around. Standing in the room was Jyugo, who had backed up quickly before Alan could hit him or something. The officer semi relaxed, but his guard never went down.

"What're you doing here…?" Alan asked him.

"Being locked up in that cell for three days without escaping was becoming a bore." Jyugo said and shrugged in an innocent manner. "I figured I might as well visit the guy who basically gave us all concussions…"

"You're not supposed to be here." Alan stated sternly.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Jyugo rolled his eyes. "I've heard it all from Hajime before. But you wanna know what isn't a bore?" He smirked and pointed right at Alan. "That number on your neck."

Alan eyes narrowed at the inmate while his hand grabbed the back of his own neck.

"So you're No.7, eh?" Jyugo asked looking rather smug. "That's pretty interesting. Which building were you sent to?"

"...I've been thrown in every building in Nanba." Alan stated coldly. "I gave them hell trying to figure out which building I should go to. Each Supervisor got pretty fed up with my shenanigans, and eventually threw me into Building 5… The first building I got sent to was Building 3..."

"You've been thrown into every building?" Jyugo repeated as he looked surprised. "The hell did they do that?"

"Acting…" Alan replied. "By acting and causing a lot of mayhem, I was basically thrown around like hopscotch. But, after an accident, I was eventually thrown into Building 5."

"Does that mean you have different numbers all over you?" Jyugo asked.

"No, actually…" Alan shook his head. "The only number I have is on my neck… The Supervisors all knew me as 'Annoying Al' since I was nothing but a nuisance to them. It was fun… Pissing each of them off, causing over half of them to hate me… Got a real good kick out of it…"

"It's funny to hear that come from a freak who can't feel." Jyugo said.

Alan frowned at his statement. Jyugo's face held nothing but smugness. Looks like he was the one having a real good kick out of this conversation.

"...How long have you been hiding in here?" Alan demanded.

"Who's to say? All I know is that it's been a good amount of time…" Jyugo shrugged and sat in Hajime's seat. "I bet the others have figured out I escaped by now…"

"You didn't release your friends?..." Alan asked, raising a brow at him.

"Nah, they didn't want to leave." Jyguo replied as he begun to spin in the chair like a child. "Nico's to terrified, Uno doesn't want to even think about you, and Rock is still sore from you punching him. Hell, there's still a bump on my forehead from you headbutting me."

"Hm…" Alan's eyes hit the ground, feeling a bit guilty to hear that.

"You're more of a freak than us, huh?" Jyugo said and laughed. "You were an inmate, but now you're a guard! You can't feel anything and you're an utter freak thanks to your strength! I guess you do belong here in Nanba, hahaha!"

Alan flinched at the words thrown at him. A pinching sensation was in his chest as he listened to Jyugo's laughing. ' _I haven't been called that for a long time…_ '

"Are you done?" Alan asked him, cutting off Jyugo's laughter. "If you want to talk we can do it in your cell. Don't make me drag you by force…"

"Well now, did I hit a nerve?" Jyugo taunted him. Alan only now just noticed how he seemed angry at him. "So what, you're freakishly strong. I rather not have my skull beaten in, thank you very much. Plus, that's Hajime's job."

"...You just _looove_ talking." Alan mumbled and crossed his arms. "I still don't understand why you're over here. Are you pissed because I harmed you and your friends? Is there something you're after?..."

Jyugo's expression became rather stoic very quickly. Something flashed in his eyes, but Alan didn't know what. Not even a moment later, Jyugo's smirked twitched up as his eyes held a hint of anger.

"It's nothing… I just enjoy escaping. It's fun…" Jyugo stated. "Getting past traps and puzzles are a hobby of mine. You could say that I'm the key to the world~"

"How egotistic of you…" Replied Alan as he began walking towards him. "Enough of your joking. Get back to your cell now, otherwise I will throw you in myself and tell Hajime what you did. He'll be the one to punish you once he gets back."

"Oh, sounds like fun." Jyugo said, grinning up at Alan as he towered over him. "I rather stay here for a while. Those cells are pretty boring."

' _He's like a leach…_ ' Alan immediately thought. ' _Or maybe he's more of a mosquito… Either way, he's annoying as hell. I don't want to knock him out again, who knows if Hajime will punish me for it. The infirmary will surely whack me a good amount of times if I harm him. I wonder…_ '

Alan huffed out through his nose. Jyugo just kept gazing up at him, looking rather smug, as if he was daring Alan to harm him. The guard began to bent down towards Jyugo since he was sitting down. Jyugo's smirk fell instantly as Alan got really close to his face. Without even able to act, Alan placed his lips against Jyugo's. The inmate sat there, his head trying to process what the hell was happening. He suddenly felt Alan's tongue lick his lips.

Only then did reality hit Jyugo like a train as his entire body shivered. Jyugo fell out of the spinny chair, scrambling to his feet, and went to the farthest wall in the room to get away from Alan. Jyugo's face was pale as he looked utterly horrified, his hand over his mouth, as he began screaming at Alan. Alan just stood there, his face blank, as if nothing ever happened as his eyes stayed on the inmate.

"WHAT THE HELL!" He had screamed. "WHO THE FUCK DOES THAT! YOU FUCKING CREEP!"

Alan said nothing. Alan only maneuvered around Hajime's desk and stepped towards Jyugo. The inmate yelped in horror.

"S-STAY OVER THERE! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!" Jyugo yelled.

"...Get back to your cell." Alan ordered, taking another step towards him.

Jyugo yelped and bolted out of the room. He screamed while running down the hallway. Alan looked out of the room to see Jyugo open the door to his cell and run right it, slamming it shut behind him. Alan just watched before turning back around into the room.

"That worked a lot more effectively than I thought…" Alan said and closed the door softly.

.

When Hajime came back he did not expect to hear inmates yelling at each other.

He instantly recognized the voices of those from cell 13. Hajime's eye began to twitch in annoyance. He only just got back from meeting the warden and he hadn't even had the time to sit down. With a deep sigh he decided to see why they were causing such a ruckus. As soon as he was in front of the door he slammed his fist against it to grab the inmate's attention.

"Shut up! You're all noisier than usual!" Hajime yelled at them. "What the hell's the problem?"

"YOUR GUARD IS THE PROBLEM!" Jyugo shouted at him instantly, looking almost flustered.

"What're you goin' on about?" Hajime grumbled, raising a brow at is strange behavior.

"Jyugo says that your newest guard kissed him." Uno stated bluntly. "He's been like this for hours."

Once Hajime heard that he sighed deeply. Hajime pinched the bridge of his nose, trying hard not to allow his annoyance to high any higher.

"I can't believe that brat did it again…" Hajime grumbled.

"What?" Uno said, catching what Hajime said. "He's done this before?!"

"Look, if you knew his circumstance you would understand." Hajime stated as he thought about Alan. "Yeah, it's not necessarily right for him to do that shit, but stop freaking out about it. Al's a good kid but he's… ' _special'_. You wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you."

"THAT STILL DOESN'T ALLOW HIM THE RIGHT TO DO THAT SHIT!" Jyugo shouted.

"Calm down and get over it." Hajime growled at him. "You're causing more of a ruckus with all that shouting and it's giving me a headache. Shut up, do as you're told, and let me handle this. Alan has no intentions of harming anybody."

"Yeah, right. My stomach still hurts from being punched from that guy…" Groaned Rock.

"H-h-h-he's s-s-scary…!" Nico added, looking ready to cry.

"'No intentions' my ass!" Uno said, clearly pissed. "He hurt all of us more than you've ever done. That guy's psychotic! He shouldn't even be a guard!"

"Especially when he freaking sexually assaults us!" Jyugo shouted.

"Enough!" Bellowed Hajime as he punched the door again, silencing the inmates. "That's enough out of you. You four know nothing about that kid. Yeah, I get that he freaks you out, but it's not like he asked for it. I'm not tellin' you to like him, but I'm telling you to not hate him. If anything he actually cares about you little shits more than anybody here."

"Then why the hell did he do all that shit to us?" Asked Uno through grinding teeth.

"Because I told him to." Hajime stated. "I ordered him to go and capture you all, explicitly stating for him to knock you guys out. The kissing thing was something he did even as an inmate because of his genetic disorder. He calls it a 'habit,' or an 'instinct'. Plus, he doesn't just do it to anybody. He almost always has some sort of intention behind his actions. Now if it'll shut you up, I'll punish him since he knows that he shouldn't do that shit. Is there anything else you'd like to complain to me about before I beat your heads in?"

"...No." Uno muttered, speaking on the behalf of the group.

"Good." Hajime growled and stepped back. "Now stop causing a ruckus and behave. Today's a busy day, you know."

With that said, Hajime turned and walked off. He went back into the guard's office and spotted Seitarou, Yamoto, and Alan inside. Seitarou was at his desk while Alan and Yamoto was playing some type of chest game on the table. They all looked towards Hajime since they heard the door open.

"Hello there, sir. How was the meeting?" Seitarou asked cheerfully.

"Fine." Hajime answered and walked towards Alan.

"...Checkmate." Alan stated and knocked down Yamoto's king.

"Beaten again! My, you have quite an eye there, Al! Ha ha ha ha!" Laughed Yamoto.

Hajime's shadow casted over Alan, causing the guard to gaze up at him. Without a moment's hesitation Hajime punched Alan's head, knocking the boy off of the couch and onto the ground. Seitarou yelped while Yamoto was surprised to witness the action himself.

"Uunn… That made me dizzy…" Mumbled Alan as he sat up and rubbed his head.

"That's for being stupid." Hajime growled at him. "What the hell did you do to No.15 today, huh? Did you really think it was such a bright idea to freaking liplock with him?"

"...Oh. That." Alan mumbled and got back onto his feet. "No.15 apparent escaped his cell earlier this afternoon without any of us realizing it. I checked the monitors a little later and figured out he's been hiding in the night room here the entire time. Once you were with the Warden and Seitarou went to lunch he revealed himself to me and we talked… He refused to go back to his cell and I knew that I shouldn't knock him out. I didn't want to harm him since he was taunting me. I didn't want him to think I acted out because of that…"

"So you kissed the brat to make him leave?!" Hajime questioned, shocked by his explanation.

"...Yeah, basically." Alan confirmed. "He screamed and ran back to his cell… Worked better than I thought… I guess that he's traumatized and yelled to you about it?"

"Yes." Hajime said and hit Alan in the head again. "You dumbass. Was that really necessary? You know better than to do that, especially with all the trouble it got you in from the past! Think before you act!"

"I couldn't help it…" Mumbled Alan as he held his head, his eyes looking dull. "It was just… instinct…"

"Urgh…" Hajime groaned and rubbed his head. "You're just as troublesome as those four… Put that damn mask on and keep it on. I bet that was probably the reason for why the Warden even gave it to you."

"...Yes, sir…" Whispered Alan as he went to his desk.

"Wait, why did he… kiss an inmate…?!" Seitarou asked, looking very bewildered.

"Remember when I told you about that freakish genetics he's got?" Hajime spoke to him. "The only nerves he's got are the ones in his tongue. Back in his days as an inmate he had kissed one of his fellow inmates. That got him kicked out of the cell, and restrained for sexual harassment. His excuse back then was it allowed him to 'connect' with people. But, we later figured out he meant nothing behind it, and it was just a habit of him growing up."

"From growing up…?" Seitarou questioned.

"Tasting was the only way I could feel things…" Alan spoke up after placing his mask on. "My mom thought it was just from how she taught me growing up, trying to teach me and all. I was diagnosed with HSAN as a kid… My dad knew what to do since he had other relatives who had the disease. So whenever I kissed them or even licked stuff he knew I meant nothing behind it… It was the only way I could feel. But of course, society didn't see it that way…"

"W-well, kissing people isn't quite a normal thing…" Muttered Seitarou.

"I know…" Alan replied while staring at the ground. His hands tightly clenched into fists at his sides. "I just… Didn't mean to hurt anybody…"

The room got quiet real fast. Hajime, sensing the dense atmosphere, sighed deeply and walked towards Alan. He awkwardly patted his shoulder roughly, trying to show some sort of comfort. Alan just nodded his head in response and turned back to his desk. Today was already turning into a long day…

.

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	8. Chapter 8

"I hate that guy so _fucking_ much…!"

"You're still going on about that? It's been three days, Jyugo."

"You'd be just as traumatized if it happened to you!"

The inmates of cell 13 have had a gloomy/annoyed atmosphere around the cell ever since Alan came to the Nanba Prison. They finally healed of their physical wounds, but have yet to really heal of the mental and emotional ones. It's not like the events were super traumatizing that it caused the group to not want to talk about it. It just made them cautious of Alan.

Nico wasn't shivering in place at his name anymore, but a fearful expression did take place every time. Rock more or less was probably the calmest about it. Yeah, the guy hurt him, but when Rock thought about the guy impressed him. Shiro from the cafeteria seemed to enjoy him, and he proved to be a tough opponent like he hoped. Jyugo was clearly angry and flustered since he couldn't get over the kiss incident. Then there's Uno, who was more or less annoyed only because Jyugo kept bringing it up and wouldn't let it go.

"Look, we haven't seen that guy for six days, alright?" Uno spoke up again, trying to calm Jyugo down, as he himself was just down right annoyed. "The only times we _have_ seen him was when he's been doing patrol through the halls. But even then he doesn't stop by our cells or anything. I'm still mad that he knocked us out too, but like Hajime said, he only did as he was ordered. It's their _job_."

"It still doesn't clear up the excuse for him to kiss me, damnit!" Jyugo exclaimed, waving his fist around. "I don't give a damn if he can't feel a thing, it's not a fucking excuse! Even then it doesn't make any sort of sense!"

"Wait, what did you say?" Rock spoke up, finding interest in one of the things he said. "He can't feel anything…?"

"Yeah, something like that…" Jyugo grumbled as he was still angry. "I overheard Hajime talk about it. It's some genetic thing he has or whatever. Apparently he can't feel anything."

"How can someone not be able to feel anything?" Rock questioned in disbelief.

"I think I might've heard of something like that." Uno spoke up as he tried to remember. "It's a disease I think. Something about not letting your nerves work or whatever…"

"S-so, he can't feel anything…?" Softly asked Nico.

"Yeah, something like that…" Jyugo muttered and scratched his head. "From how Hajime talked about it he said that he was troublesome because of it…"

"Hey, I just got an idea!" Uno exclaimed and hit his fist into the palm of his hand. "Let's play a game, yeah?"

"A game? What type of game?" Nico immediately asked, turning back to his bubbly self.

"That Al guy can't feel a thing, right?" Uno grinned mischievously. "Let's see with how much stuff we can get without him realizing it."

"What do you mean…?" Jyugo asked, eyeing him carefully.

"Just hear me out." Uno wrapped his arm around Jyugo's neck. "Let's mess with this guy, yeah? Poke him, throw stuff at him, stick things to him—anything that might get his attention. If he can't feel anything then he shouldn't be able to feel us putting stuff on him."

"So, we're basically messin' with the guy." Rock summed up.

"Yeah, but it'll be fun." Uno said. "We've messed with everybody else. Why not try this guy, yeah? I have a hunch that we'll get away with a lot of stuff."

"I wanna try!" Nico exclaimed, having his hand raised in the air.

"But what happens if he does feel it and question us?" Jyugo questioned, looking unamused by the idea. "This guy was able to knock us all unconscious. He could seriously pound us if we're not careful."

"Then why the hell did you escape the cell three days ago saying 'I'm gonna mess with him!' only to come back by getting kissed." Uno stated bluntly.

"S-SHUT UP!" Jyugo yelled at him, starting to fume again.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Uno said and punched his shoulder lightly. "He's going to be making his patrol in fifteen minutes. Sooo…"

Uno turned and grabbed one of Nico's crayons and a piece of paper. Uno drew on it and the guys all surrounded him, wondering what he was doing. Uno held up the paper and chuckled.

"This'll do…" He said and gazed around the place.

"Isn't that kinda immature?" Jyugo said unimpressed.

"Oh, I get it now." Rock said as he began grinning.

"Haha! I get it! Just like those drama animes I've seen!" Nico laughed while clapping.

"Now, all I need is tape." Uno muttered and began looking around the room.

"Found some!" Nico said and handed it to Uno.

"Perfect." Uno grinned. "Now we wait…"

Uno stood by the door, eyeing the hall for Alan to walk through. And, just like he stated, Alan came just on time. Just as he passed cell 13 without even glancing at it, Uno called for him. Alan immediately stopped and looked at him, looking slightly curious. Uno had to tell by his eyes since his black mask was on this time.

"Yo, Al!" Uno has called. "Mind comin' here for a moment?"

"Huh…?" Alan blinked owlishly, clearly surprised.

But, Alan complied either way. He stepped forwards and stood in front of the door, wondering what Uno wanted.

"Is… something wrong?" Alan asked softly.

"I just wanted to talk to ya." Uno said in an innocent manner. "I may be a criminal but I ain't all that cold hearted. I just wanted to talk is all."

Alan's eyes narrowed at him. "...Talk about what?"

"Let's talk about your job." Uno said smirking. "You said you were a criminal, right? Well, why would you want to come back to the place you were imprisoned? I just don't get it."

"Well…" Alan mumbled and looked almost thoughtful. "When you have any sort of criminal record, especially mine, then finding a job in society is hard. Yeah, there'll be people who will take you in, but the pay is low compared to others… I eventually began working on a local farm because the guy knew my family well and took pity on me…"

"So you became a guard?" Uno questioned with a raised brow.

"Yeah." Alan nodded. "I sent a request to the Warden. She then brought me in, gave me a uniform and mask, and gave me the job. I know how the officers work and I get the jist of their protocol. The pay is a lot higher and allows me to keep a roof over my head…"

"Sounds tough." Uno commented. "But why Nanba…? Couldn't you gone to other police stations?"

"You do realize what you're asking, right?" Alan gave him a flat look. "My criminal record has vandalism, theft, has a violent history, fought against officer arrest, and even broke out of prison every now and then. Who the hell in their right minds would give someone like that a job, especially at a police station."

"True, true." Uno nodded. "But that still doesn't answer why Nanba allowed you here."

Alan sighed softly and gazed away from him. "After a year of being in Nanba Prison I stopped being a troublemaker. That was when I was officially put into Building 5. At the time there was rumors that people had been handing out drugs through the inmates because they stole them from the infirmary. A lot of inmates knew who I was because I ended up becoming close to them… The officers knew that… So, I ended up becoming their information dealer, you could say…"

"Seriously? Why'd you rat them out?" Uno asked.

"Because those drugs were dangerous." Alan stated, now looking very serious. "They were hardcore drugs that the inmates stole and mixed them together carefully. Inmates were actually dying because of it. They're brains were being fried and they weren't acting like yourselves. Plus, the bastard had been injecting the drugs into unsuspecting prisoners, testing his work out. Ten people died."

"Holy shit…" Uno whispered as his eyes were wide.

"That many people?" Rock ask, now standing behind Uno.

"That's fucked up…" Muttered Jyugo.

"Who would do that? Messing with other people's medicine and handing it to others isn't right!" Nico exclaimed, looking slightly fired up. "Some people really need those drugs to survive."

"That's why they came to me." Alan said calmly and crossed his arms as he recalled the memories. "I began investigating before they even asked me to. After narrowing the search and speaking to the right guys, I ended up finding the bastard. Once I found his little drug exhibit I pounded his face in… He killed a lot of good people… I wasn't going to forgive him, and I still won't… Nobody deserves to die…"

"What else happened?" Rock asked.

"...After I found him I dragged him off to the police." Alan continued. "The guards took him to the deeper parts of the prison, away from everybody else, and extended his sentence. Not even a week being in there, the guy went mental… He ended up killing himself by choking on his own chains… According to a few guards, it was a pretty fucked up scene. I could only imagine how bad it was…"

"Whoa…" Rock muttered in shock.

"That was wild from start to finish!" Uno exclaimed.

"You asked." Alan said. "...But, I still feel bad… Those guys passed without even realizing what happened. I knew them all. One of the guy's had a kid and wife waiting for him back home… He ended up dying because of a psychotic druggy…"

"That's so sad…" Muttered Nico.

"...It was my first participation with the guards." Alan added as he placed his back against their cell door. "From then on, I made a promise to those men. I would help the guards prevent an incident like that ever happening again. That's when I officially became the guard's information broker on inmates whenever something got fishy…"

"What a noble guy you are." Uno commented with a light smirk. "I bet a lot of inmates didn't trust you from then on out."

"You'd be surprised, heh…" Alan smirked, not like they could see, but he did catch them off guard. "Thanks to my outgoing nature, almost everybody trusted me. They talked to me because I was the only one who would listen. I listened because I knew it would help. Didn't even realize doing something as simple as that would lead towards everyone liking me… Because of my vital intel I collected, I ended up becoming a type of bigshot in Nanba. I guess that's why the Warden took a risk in me and gave me the job…"

"Are you okay with that, though?" Jyugo asked in a slightly harsh tone. "Being used only for intel like that? Is it even worth it?"

"Kinda, yeah." Alan nodded before pushing himself off of the door to face them. "As long as I can be of worth of some kind, it's worth it…"

"...You're weird." Jyugo said before turning around and went deeper into the cell.

"Fair enough." Alan shrugged, finding what he said amusing. "But I enjoy my job. It's worth it…"

"I don't think I could ever change my ways like that and become a guard in the prison I was held in." Rock muttered and scratched his head.

"Fair enough." Alan said as his eyes seemed to smile. "Is that all you wanted to ask?"

"U-uh, yeah." Uno said and rubbed the back of his neck. "...Now that I think about it, you really are easy to talk to. That's freaking creepy, man."

Alan released a short laugh, which sounded a lot like huffs, as he found what Uno said amusing. He was surprised that their hate towards him from a few days ago had apparently subsided.

"I get that a lot…" Alan said softly. "If that's all, I need to get back to my job." He turned towards the hall, but gave the three by the door a pointed look. "You better not escape again otherwise I'm gonna have to chase you guys again. I honestly _don't_ enjoy beating you guys to death, so please don't make me."

"Fine, fine." Uno waved at him. "But we make no promises for tomorrow!"

Alan sighed softly and shook his head. "I'll act like I heard nothing…"

WIth that said, he began walking down the hall. Uno, Nico, and Rock watched from the barred window until he was out of sight. Once he was gone, Rock looked to Uno.

"After hearing that story, you still put that paper on his back." Rock muttered.

"What? I had to do something!" Uno said and began to laugh. "Still, I placed that thing right on his neck! He really didn't notice, ahaha!"

"Alan's not that bad of a guy, huh?" Nico said and looked at the others. "Hajime was right when he said we had to know him better."

"But we never did figure out his full story…" Muttered Rock.

"Who cares?" Grumbled Jyugo as he was laying on the ground. "He could have the most saddest backstory in the world and I still wouldn't care."

"Are you still holding a grudge because of some dumb kiss?" Uno asked him.

"Of course I am!" Jyugo yelled at him, now sitting up and shaking a fist. "I don't care who he is! There's no excuse for him to kiss someone, especially an inmate he's in charge of!"

"Yeah, Jyugo does have a fair point in that." Nico said before looking at Rock and Uno. "Do you think Alan likes boys instead?"

"Don't ask me, I don't know the guy!" Uno exclaimed and walked away from the door.

"If he's as open as he says he is, then maybe you can ask him next time…" Rock suggested, honestly just wanting to change the conversation.

"Okay!" Nico said innocently and went towards the TV.

.

"Oi, Alan. There's something on your neck."

"Huh? Really…? I didn't even know it was there."

 _ **LOSER! ;P HAHA!**_

' _I recognize that penmanship anywhere! Those bastards from cell 13 are screwin' with him! And he can't suspect a thing because he can't feel the goddamn paper! Those little shits…!_ '

.

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	9. Chapter 9

"For being a guard, I never thought there would be this much junk papers…"

"Yeah, it's kind of surprising, but it's kind of useful reading through them."

"Really? Guess I'll start skimming..."

As usual, Alan was at his desk reading papers. He hadn't taken his mask off for a while since he's honestly gotten adjusted to it. As he threw another page into the garbage, Seitarou grabbed his attention again.

"Oh, hey, Alan!" He said, causing the newbie to turn towards him. "It's time for your patrol. You should really be wary about the time."

"Uh, right, sorry…" Alan apologized and stood up from his desk.

He pushed his chair in before walking out of the office. Entering into the hallway, he instantly spotted Hajime with a person behind him. Recognizing the silver tag on the person and the attire they wore, it was clear that it was a new inmate.

"New inmate, sir?" Alan asked as he continued walking by.

"Yep. He's going to cell 13." Hajime stated.

"Cell 13…?" Alan mumbled before beginning to walk with Hajime. "Hold on, why there? Why not… cell 11? It has fewer inmates that aren't so… rowdy."

"Warden's orders." Hajime answered.

"Oh…" Alan became quiet after that. He looked back to the inmate to see that he was dressed in a peculiar way. "...Nice mask."

"Thank you." Replied inmate No.99. "It was especially made in my village for shinobis…"

' _Yeah, okay, keep tellin' yourself that bud…_ ' Alan thought as he didn't believe him at all. ' _But, he does look familiar… I wonder where I've seen him before…_ '

"Here's your cell," Hajime instructed the inmate.

"I'll keep patrolling…" Muttered Alan as he walked on by.

Just as he made it to the end of the hall he could hear the boys from cell 13 gushing in excitement. He questioned what got them so riled up, but shrugged it off since he had a job to do. After nothing suspicious was going on he went back to the office. He sat back at his desk and continued a few papers before he heard a sobbing Seitarou run into the room. Immediately he put his papers down and came to his aid, even though he went to Hajime. Alan blamed it on his feminine instincts…

"Seitarou, what's wrong?" He asked and bent down to his level. "Are you hurt? Do I need to take you to the infirmary? Did something go wrong? Are you okay?"

"Stop peppering him with questions like a worried mother and let him talk." Hajime said, causing Alan to stiffen in realization.

' _Damn my motherly instincts…!_ ' He cursed himself.

"It's the inmates again! Waaaahh!" Sobbed Seitarou.

"Inmates…?" Alan questioned softly.

"You mean cell 13?" Hajimed asked. "I thought you said you were buddy-buddy with them since I've told you what to do."

"I thought so too, but now we're through!" Exclaimed Seitarou. "I just went to see if I could get them anything. They ignored me! I offered them snacks, surveys, menus, and everything, but they just hissed at me! Those inmates are as cold as ice!"

' _...Seitarou sound like an overly emotional girlfriend, yeesh…_ ' Alan immediately thought.

"Wait, they all love that crap. What could this mean…?" Hajime muttered as he became suspicious of what Seitarou said.

"Cheer up, Seitarou…" Alan spoke up calmly to him and began rubbing his back in comfort. "No need to get upset over something so trivial. Don't take everything they say or do to heart. Don't waste your tears on them. You are just as important and special as them and they don't deserve your time or tears."

"Y-you really think so…?" Sniffled Seitarou as he gazed up at her.

"Of course I do!" Alan nodded before diving into his lunchbox he brought with him. "Here, I had bought myself a muffin earlier. You can have it though. Cheer up, okay?"

"You're such a girl…" Hajime practically threw at Alan.

Without Seitarou seeing, Alan shot Hajime a very harsh and cold glare. Hajime stiffened as that glare reminded him of the Warden, which also gave him the realization of his mistake. ' _Crap, that's right… Alan_ is _a girl… I accidentally forgot..._ '

"A-are you sure…?" Seitarou asked Alan.

"Of course I'm sure." Alan said to him, still using a comforting sweet tone while patting his head. "You sit here and wipe those tears away, okay? I'll talk to those guys and see what's up."

"O-okay…" Mumble Seitarou as he wiped his tears.

' _...GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!_ ' Alan shouted at himself in his thoughts. ' _IF SEITAROU WASN'T SO DENSE HE WOULD'VE BEEN SUSPICIOUS OF MY BEHAVIOR! DAMN MY MOTHERLY NATURE! AAARRGG!_ '

"Hey, Alan, let's see what those brats are up to together." Hajime spoke up and stood from his desk as soon as Alan got to the door. "Those things Seitarou asked them about are basically their weaknesses. If they deny that, then something's going on."

"...Okay." Alan nodded.

The two exited the room and went to Cell 13. When they got to the door, both officers instantly realized the door was opened and checked the lock. It was picked through like a pro. Alan figured that 'pro' was Jyugo.

"Did they seriously escape...?" Alan questioned as he gazed around the cell. "Why thought…?"

"Who knows…" Growled Hajime before turning around. "C'mon! They couldn't have gotten that far…"

"Right." Alan murmured and followed.

The two began walking down the hallway carefully, trying to keep an eye out of the escapees. But the further they went, the more they could hear voices. The louder the voice got, the quieter the two guards became so they could sneak up on the inmates. Once they spotted them they remained behind a wall and listened in carefully.

"So I win yet, 'cause all he's done is follow me." Ask the voice of Jyugo. "I might as well be breaking out of here all by myself!"

"So should we call it a match?" Rock asked.

"Yeah, you should do that." Hajime spoke up and stepped out from the corner.

Alan followed behind Hajime, just staying behind him, as he watched the inmates become startled by his presence. Hajime began to crack his knuckles as he glared down at them while itty bitty veins popped from his face.

"Crap! He found us!" Hissed Jyugo.

"W-wait up, Hajime! Just listen!" Uno exclaimed holding his hands up in surrender. "The three of us aren't really escaping!"

"Yeah, we're just here to judge these two's jail breaking skills." Said Rock.

"Yeah, that they said—we just came to watch!" Nico said as he flinched back.

"You damn traitors!" Jyugo shouted at the three.

Hajime cracked another finger, causing chills to go up all the inmate's spines. "If you're out of your cells, and you didn't ask for my permission, then it still counts as breaking out…"

The three inmates were all shaking together. Alan could only huff at Hajime as he felt deja vu. ' _Hajime's still the same Hajime from back then, that's for sure…_ '

"Ha ha ha ha!" Laughed the newest inmate, No.99, which grabbed their attention. "The time has come to reveal my ninjutsu! Ninja Technique: Cloak of Invisibility!"

Suddenly, the inmate took out a long flag and was holding it above his head. It was of the Japanese national flag with some writing on it. Alan could only sweat drop, watching as both Hajime and Jyugo punched the guy, also simultaneously ripping the flag.

"Doesn't really work if I've already seen ya, now does it?!" Shouted Hajime.

"And what's with that design?! Don't disrespect the Japanese!" Shouted Jyugo.

"Aaaand down he goes…" Alan mumbled, standing next to the other inmates, watching as No.99 was now laying on the ground. "To be honest he had that coming to him…"

"Hey, why didn't you join in the punch, Alan?" Asked Nico.

"Well, I'm not Japanese in the slightest, and I'm kind of not needed here…" Alan muttered and looked at Hajime, just in time to see him grab Jyugo by the collar of his clothes.

"No.15 you punk… Making friends with the newbie so you can escape together, huh?" Hajime interrogated him.

"It's not my fault, it was his idea!" Jyugo said, only to gasp very deeply afterwards. "Tsukumo and… Hajime… Hajime Tsuku—"

Hajime slammed his hand over Jyugo's mouth. "Don't say it. Don't you dare say it! No one in our targeted demographic will get it!"

 ***Ahem, Ahem.* PAUSE!** (A chibi Alloisia pops up as a pause symbol appears over the screen.) **Excuse me while I explain to you, dear reader/viewer. Hajime Tsukumo is a famous Japanese actor and has been in many movies. He was born around 1952 and is still around to this date! Well, assuming you're reading this around the date he's still alive. Anyways, back to our regular programing!** (Chibi Alloisia jumps down and disappears off screen) **RESUME!**

"Ahahahaha! Just as expected of a Nanba Prison officer!" Exclaimed No.99, or Tsukumo, who was back onto his feet. He then pointed at Jyugo. "It looks like I'll be taking your title after all! It's clear that you are no match for this guard. If I escape from here, victory is mine!"

"So you guys weren't lying about the competition, huh…" Alan muttered to the three.

"Of course not!" Uno exclaimed at him. "If it gets us out from getting hit by Hajime then we'll squeal like pigs!"

' _Duly noted…_ ' Alan thought to himself.

"Ninja Technique! Hidden Leaf! Makibishi!" Exclaimed Tsukumo.

Suddenly, not only did leafs fly through the air, but small tiny weapons flew to the ground as well. Alan was surprised by this and became on guard, only to quickly calm down when he realized the position Tsukumo got himself in.

"Whoa! He really must be a ninja if he got those past security!" Exclaimed Rock, Nico, and Uno in unison.

"Yeah, okay…" Alan shook his head at the three. "What type of ninja traps himself with his own weapons…?"

Realization hit Tsukumo as soon as Alan pointed it out. The supposed 'ninja' exclaimed in horror at the realization of what happened.

"This is terrible! I spread them all out around myself!" Tsukumo exclaimed.

"You're cleaning that up!" Hajime called to him before turning to the four. "Alright, time to get back to your cells."

"What about him, sir…?" Alan asked Hajime, pointing at No.99.

"He ain't leaving until he cleans up his mess." Hajime stated. He then placed a sign up in front of Tsukumo before facing the other inmates. "Alright, start moving."

Alan helped Hajime bring the original four back to their cells and left Tsukumo behind. Beginning tomorrow he'll be moved to Cell 11, just like Alan had suggested, so no more trouble could be caused with Cell 13.

.

.

"Good morning, Alan!"

"...G-good morning…"

"Huh?"

Seitarou had walked in this morning to find Alan sitting on the couch looking rather gloomy. His head was down as he projected a small gloomy aura. Concerned for his coworker, Seitarou walked up to Alan and asked him what was wrong.

"Is everything okay?" He had asked.

"My landlord called me…" Softly muttered Alan. "...He just kicked me out of the place because of my rent being unpaid for again…"

"I am so sorry!" Seitarou said, patting his shoulder in comfort.

"It's fine…" Alan muttered and gestured that it was nothing. "It was bound to happen… I was planning on moving out anyways…"

"Well, do you have any other place to stay?" Seitarou asked.

"Yeah…" Alan replied softly. "I talked to the Warden about it, hoping an early paycheck could help me get somewhere. Instead she told me I could just sleep in the nightroom here… I ended up taking her offer..."

"Why?" Seitarou asked, bewildered by his words.

"I mean, it's right here at work, right?" Mumbled Alan as he tried being logical about this. "Why not? You have me being around 24/7 now, and it allows me to save up some money while I try to search for a legitimate place to stay at…"

"Still, though…" Seitarou tried to reason with him. "Won't it be a bit scary, living here with other inmates around and all…?"

"Not really, considering I did live here for three years…" Alan said, his tone now sounding less gloomy and more casual.

"Oh, right… I keep forgetting that you had been an inmate here yourself…" Seitarou muttered softly.

"I'll be fine, promise…" Alan said and stood up from his spot on the couch.

"Well, at least you're not gloomy anymore." Seitarou smiled and walked towards one of the metal closets. "Today's pretty important you know. We should get to work?"

"...Important…?" Alan questioned.

"Well, yeah. It's New Years Eve, you know." Seitarou said, looking at him incredulously. "How could you not know something as important as that?" The blue haired male turned to him with cleaning equipment in hand. "It's Japanese tradition to clean up the place at the end of the year. Us guards will clean up the office while the inmates will clean up their cells. That's how it works."

"Oh, I had no idea…" Alan said softly. "I should call my family when I get the chance…"

"You get a headstart here in the office. Yamoto and I will supply the inmates, okay?" Seitarou said smiling.

"Alright…" Alan nodded to him.

As Seitarou exited the room, Alan went into the metal closet and began to look for cleaning supplies. Once he found a bit he began to start with the desk. Of course, he had to clean off a bit of the papers before he did that. As he cleaned, Seitarou came back along with Yamoto. The three cleaned the entire room as carefully as they could. As Alan cleaned on top of a cabinet, he spotted something black and furry. Blinking a few times, he grabbed the strange thing and turned to Seitarou.

"Hey, Seitarou…?" He questioned softly.

"Yeah?" Seitarou straightened up and looked at him.

"...Why're there a cat here?" Alan asked. "I thought I saw something furry from time to time, but I've always shrugged it off as my imagination… Why's it got a police hat too?"

"Oh, uh… I honestly have no clue." Admitted Seitarou.

"That's officer Kuu!" Exclaimed Yamoto, pointing to the cat. "Hajime is responsible for the cat. He is Guard Cat Kuu! He usually resides around the office, but it's been a long time since I've saw him! Nice find, Agilulf!"

"Hajime's cat…?" Alan held the cat up, now noticing a scar over one of his eyes. "Why do I see the resemblance…? I'm kinda not surprised..."

"Mreow!" Spoke the cat.

Alan stared at it for a moment before holding him in his arms carefully and began petting him. ' _Aw, he's so cute…! Animals are so sweet…!_ '

"We should get back to work." Seitarou's voice snapped Alan back to reality.

"R-right…!" Alan nodded, shaking his thoughts away.

Placing the cat down, Alan got back to work. The three of them continued on cleaning until the place was spotless. Once it was done they all sat down on the couch for a well deserved break. Well, Seitarou and Alan sat down. Yamoto strongly believed that he deserved an End of the Year Training and bolted out the door. The two guards just talked quietly until going back to work. When they were at their desk Alan decided to call his family, trying to be cautions of the time difference in America compared to Japan.

" _Good morning!_ " Replied a female voice with a bit of an accent. " _Is that you, Alloisia?_ "

"Hi mom," Alan greeted as he could feel a smile curl onto his lips. "How's everything going at home? Everybody behaving?"

" _Oh, you know how it is._ " Spoke Alan's mom. From the sounds he could hear, it sounds like she's cooking. " _Your father has been himself, you know. Sadly he left early to go hunting so I'm sorry you can't talk to him, you know? Your brothers, Marco and Mario, have been mischievous little devils. Hiding my phone, hiding my purse—I almost slapped them for hiding my lipstick. But little Eva has been good, though. She got first place in her school art contest!_ "

"Oh, that's good." Alan said, glad to hear their okay. "I just called to say happy New Years since it's New Years Eve over here."

" _Really?_ " Softly gasped her mom. " _You guys are a day ahead of us, huh. I will never get used to those timezones…_ "

"Tell me about it…" Alan laughed softly.

" _Anyways, how have you been? Everything going well?_ " Asked her mom.

"Yeah, it's been fun." Alan said. "I saw a few familiar faces and made some new friends. Give a little more time and I'm sure my name will be circling around the place again, hehe…"

" _I'm glad to know you're okay_." Happily said her mom. " _I wish you could come over one of these days. See the family again, have some pasta fazool, oooh! Or Chicken parmesan! Ugh, it's only 10 o'clock here and you're already making me hungry._ "

"Mom, aren't you making something?" Alan asked. "I'm positive I heard pans on the stove."

" _Yes, but there is no such thing as too much food!_ " Said her mother. Alan could only imagine her waving her finger at him. " _Because New Years is coming up everyone from my side of the family is coming over. Even Uncle Benvolio will be there this time. I'm making my famous lemon cake and bring it over, along with some meatballs. Mmm~ I can't wait for it!_ "

"I wish I could be there…" Alan said, but he was still smiling. "Tell everyone I said hi. And give dad a big hug for me, okay?"

" _Of course I will!_ " Laughed her mom. " _I hate to let you go, mia cara, but I must. I'm in the middle of cooking, and I don't want to burn the pancakes._ "

"Alright. I love you, mom." Alan said.

" _I love you to, Allousia._ " Said her mother in a very loving manner. " _I'll tell everyone you called. Goodbye!_ "

"Bye bye, mama." Alloisia said just as lovingly in return.

The phone beeped as the call was disconnected. Alan sighed softly and gazed at his phone in a lonely manner. Going through it he went to his pictures and found a picture of his entire family together. He smiled softly at the memory. Seeing each of their faces made him feel homesick. But, with this job, it was worth the heartache. He closed his phone and placed it on his desk and began to continue his regular paper work.

"Happy New Years…"

.

.

.

.


	10. Chapter 10

_Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke._

"Mmnn… Eva, stop…"

"Who the hell's Eva?"

"...!..."

Alan shot up from his bed to see No.15 sitting in a wheely chair right next to him. His body instinctively had chills go up his spine as a cold sweat formed on the back of his neck. ' _Son of bitch…! Thank god I didn't take off any of my compressions otherwise I'd be fucking screwed!_ '

"The hell're you doing here?" Alan demanded to know, his tone being rather hostile.

"Did I scare you? Ooh, what an angry tone you're using!" Jyugo teased, trying to aggravate him. It was slightly working.

"Don't dodge the question!" Alan yelled, holding a fist up at him.

"I got bored." Jyugo replied innocently with a shrug. "Plus, Rock snores, Uno grinds his teeth, and Nico sleep giggles—how do you expect me to fall asleep? Plus, this is the most quietest place in the building, but I had no idea you were residing in here."

"So your brilliant idea was to poke me...?" Alan questioned as his eye twitched.

"Hajime's not here, Seitarou went home, and Yamoto is doing his training." Jyugo said holding up three fingers. "So, yeah, you're basically my only entertainment right now."

' _This guy…!_ ' Alan could feel his anger slowly rising. But, he countered it by sighing out, trying to calm down. ' _No, no… Leave him. He's not worth the trouble of beating. Plus, I'm sure Hajime wouldn't take his office being in shambles so lightly…_ '

"...If you're so bored then why don't you do something else?" Alan questioned him. "Read, watch TV, draw—do something other than break out of your cell. If you keep escaping like that then eventually Hajime will have to take high measures and place you in a place that you can't escape from."

"Oh really? What's that?" Jyugo asked, clearly not believing Alan's words.

"They have a place in these buildings that they usually put mentally ill prisoners in." Alan stated, trying to show that this wasn't a joke. "Basically it's like a hatchet—kinda like a garbage shoot. They slide you into this room with no doors, no windows, and no locks. Climbing back up the shoot is impossible since they have this slick coating on it that makes you slide down. One wall is made of bulletproof glass while the other walls, including ceiling and floor, are made of white cushions. It's like a mental institution. The glass wall allows people like doctors to watch you and examine your behavior. No matter what you do towards those people on the other side of the glass, they'll do nothing but act as if you weren't even there. It's a living hell…"

"Wait, they seriously have that…?" Jyugo muttered, clearly surprised by the information.

"Remember that story I talked about a few days ago?" Alan asked and watched Jyugo nod. "...How else do you think that guy went mental and killed himself?"

"S-seriously…?" Jyugo's eyes went wide in shock.

"Yep. It's pretty fucked up…" Alan muttered as a dark expression came onto his face. "I know personally how much of a hell it is because I got put in there… They said that if I can't cooperate, they'll keep me in that room for the rest of my sentence. I just scoffed and laughed… They threw me down and I could only last a week… I eventually agreed to their terms and got placed officially into Building 5…"

"Sounds harsh." Jyugo muttered.

"Yeah, well…" Alan shrugged and sighed again, trying to stop any dark thoughts in his head. "...I was a little shit back then, so I deserved it. But I'm not telling you that to pity me. I'm telling you this because I don't want anybody else going through the shit I've been through. I'm warning you; behave or Hajime might just take that risk in throwing you in there if you continue to misbehave!"

"Yeah… I'm not gonna do that." Jyugo said smiling, looking rather smug. "Hajime's a brute, but he isn't that heartless. Plus, he's dealt with me so far. The only person who would do that would probably be the Warden, right? If I get thrown in, then I get thrown it. It's my fault for breaking out anyways so it would make sense if I get punished for it."

Alan stared at him for a moment before sighing again. He ran a hand through his hair since it was down, realizing just how much Jyugo doesn't understand these things. "You really don't know anything, huh?..."

"You sound like Hajime." Jyugo commented and began spinning in the chair.

"That's because Hajime understands what this job means more than you do." Alan stated, causing Jyugo to stop and listen to him. "Do you understand what our job is? What we do and why we have to do it…?"

"You're guards, right? So you guard the inmates and make sure we don't escape." Jyugo said as if it was obvious.

"It's more than that, you know…" Alan said and rested his chin in his palm. "Yes, we do guard the cells and make sure inmates behave themselves. But it's more complicated than that… The reason anybody is put into jail is because they broke society's law. But breaking the law you are punished by being placed into jails and living in it until your sentence has ended. Through that time of being in jail, it's up to us guards to sort of… rehabilitate you guys…"

"Rehabilitate…?" Jyugo questioned, clearly not understanding.

"You might have broken the law, but you're still a human being." Alan continued, hopefully trying to get him to understand. "From what I experienced for myself, a lot of jails in America would sometimes have these type of groups. They would gather the inmates and hold this type of event. Sometimes they have past inmates who had rehabilitated properly back into society to talk. Sometimes it's a comedian. Heck, they even bring in animals sometimes."

"Why would they do that?" Jyugo asked.

"To make us care…" Alan said softly, causing Jyugo to stare. "There's a lot of things in life. But, sometimes people will act out through severe circumstances and break society's laws. Jyugo… you're only 16 and in the world's highest security prison. You shouldn't be in a place like this. You should be in a nice home, with a nice family, goofing off with friends, and playing games. That goes for you and your fellow inmates in cell 13. There's only so much time we have in life, but you're here, wasting it in a pathetic jail cell…"

"Where are you going with this?" Jyugo spoke up, looking almost defensive.

"I'm saying you should go through your sentence and get the hell out of here." Alan stated bluntly. "Behave, find your way into society. As a guard, it is my job to not only make sure you inmates behave and get ready to be released back into society, but it's also my job to care for you guys."

"Care for us…?" Jyugo's eyebrows furrowed together and upwards, clearly confused.

"Prison guards make sure the inmates behave, but that they are also protected…" Alan continued to hopefully clarify for him. "You and your friends in cell 13 all have misdemeanors, but because you continue to escape jails your sentences have been lengthen. Either way, you guys didn't do something extreme, unlike some of these other inmates. Nanba Prison has all types of fuckers around. Rapist, murders, the mentally illed—this place might as well have them all. Even if those guys are placed into special confinement away from other inmates, they'll try attacking anybody they can get their hands on. That means it's up to the guards to stop that from happening and try and protect people like you."

"But… why?" Jyugo asked. "We've all done bad shit. All prisoners might as well be scum, right? So why would you risk yourselves for something like that?"

"Just because you misbehaved in our society doesn't mean you're not a living being…" Alan answered. He smiled at Jyugo, seeing that he caught him off guard. "You're a human being. You have feelings, you have a high intelligence, you have your own likes and talents. You might have lost some rights from doing the shit you've done to get into prison, but you still have the right to be a human being. The reason I came back here—the very reason for why I willingly talk to everyone I can talk to and know them—is because I care. I want to protect. I want to help you guys get through this harsh rehabilitation and I want to keep you all safe… That's why I became a prison guard at Nanba Prison."

Jyugo stared at Alan with his mouth agap. Alan just held his gaze, a smirk tugging his own lips, as he knew what he said had resonated with him somehow. Or, at least impressed him in some way. Jyugo recollected himself and pointed at Alan.

"Dude, it's like, 3 in the morning and you were able to give a lecture like that?" Jyugo said in a very blunt tone. "Man you're weird…"

Hajime would've punched Jyugo if he had said that to him. But Alan wasn't Hajime. Instead Alan huffed in amusement, only to end up laughing softly. Jyugo expected to get hit, not a chuckle.

"Haha, yeah, I guess I am weird." Alan smiled at him. "I just know a lot more than others is all… I weird as I am, I always enjoy deep conversations. It's just how I am…"

"You… You aren't mad?" Jyugo asked, ready for a punch to the head.

"Why should I be mad when what you said is true?" Alan countered, effectively silencing him. Alan's smile faded as he looked at his crossed legs. "I'm just a freak of nature. But it's how I was bored—I'm not responsible for it. I'm only responsible for the actions that I take and for what I do with myself. But, a lot of people tend to forget that…"

"...What do you mean by that?" Jyugo asked.

"...You honestly don't know my situation, huh?" Alan asked him, watching as he shook his head. "Ever heard of the disease, HSAN?"

"Nope." Jyugo shook his head.

"HSAN stands for Hereditary Sensory and Autonomic Neuropathy." Alan stated, trying to explain it as carefully as possible. "It's a condition that inhibits sensory. In other words, HSAN stops me from physically feeling anything. Whether I am kept in the cold or even in flaming fire, I can't feel anything. I won't be able to tell you whether I'm hot or cold because I can't feel it. Basically the only way I can feel something through my hands or anywhere is probably if I was harmed severely."

"So you really can't feel _anything_?" Jyugo asked, looking intrigued, as his eyes landed on Alan's arms. "Is… is that why you have so many scars…?"

Alan followed his gaze to his arms. When Alan went to bed he just took a few of his uniform off. He didn't take his pants or shirt off because he had collapsed right on the bed and fell asleep. In other words, he ran out of batteries again. His sleeves were rolled up, showing the intense sight of his hands and arms. His hands were covered in scars. The same went for his arms, but the scars were more or less spaced out the more higher they went.

"Oh, these…" Alan muttered as his face was stoic again. "Growing up with HSAN was… hard, to say the least. Kids didn't enjoy being around me because I couldn't quite control my own strength. My family did whatever they could to teach me how to control my own body so that society might be able to accept me. But, it was hard… The more I grew, the more I wanted to feel something. Why was touch so special? What was so comforting from it? I didn't know… I _couldn't_ know… Eventually, I got into such a dark place when I was a teen that I began harming myself. _Harshly…_ "

Alan lifted his hands up, turning them and show Jyugo how bad they actually were. "Almost all of these scars have stories. Most I inflicted on myself, others were gained by accident, while some I gained from trying to protect others."

"You were that desperate…?" Jyugo asked, his eyes widen in shock.

"Yeah, I was…" Alan nodded before putting his hands down. "HSAN isn't widely known, but it's heavily severe… I can't feel anything, so I got injured often. To this day I still get strange injuries without realizing it. Growing up without the sensation to feel is a living hell…"

Alan's hands tightened into fist as he stared at the ground with a hollow stare. "...Feelings were… impossible for me to recognize. You know how when you're sad, your throat feels all tight and clogged, and your eyes burn and feel itchy? For me, it's numbed down heavily. The most I could probably sense are the itchy eyes, and maybe my throat is tighten partially. I just… can't feel anything… My behavior came off as disturbing and harsh to others. So, to make life easier for myself and family, I began to observe people. That's when I began to act as a 'normal' human being."

"That's so fucked up…" Alan heard Jyugo whisper softly.

"Well, that's just how it is for me…" Alan said and shrugged nonchalantly. "But, now that I'm an adult and making a living for myself, life's been better for me. I understand my hints of emotions I get, and I know how to _feel_ without feeling. Yeah, sometimes there'll be moments where my HSAN is in the way, but I'm making it by fairly well. I'm just grateful for the fact that not my entire body is unable to sense touch."

"What do you mean?" Jyugo asked and tilted his head slightly.

"Not all of my senses are gone thankfully." Alan said and began counting the sensations on his fingers. "I can see, hear, and taste fairly well compared to an average human—maybe even more. But I can't smell to well and touch is a nogo. Basically, my I can only feel with my tongue. It's the most sensations that I have."

"That's gotta be frustrating." Jyugo commented, causing Alan to nod.

"Sometimes." Alan said. "I got into a lot of trouble because I tried to feel with my tongue when I was a child. Since I could only feel with my tongue, I tended to lick or kiss a lot of things. My family understood that it was the only thing I had to feel with, so they didn't necessarily stopped me unless it was in public or to something dangerous. Now that I think about it, the whole kissing thing I did was more of a greeting if anything. To put it simply… Licking and kissing for me was like a head pat or handshake if that makes any sense…"

Jyugo felt his eye twitched when he learned that information. ' _So that day when he kissed me meant nothing. He only did it as a sense of touch…_ '

"But, like usual, society found my behavior to be… inappropriate." Alan sighed softly as he recalled multiple events. "I was three when I met another kid on the local playground. I ended up kissing the kid, and it just so happened to be a girl. The parents go so mad, yelling and cursing at my parents to 'control me,' or to 'teach some manners.' I got real mad, angry that someone was insulting my family. But, my dad just apologized, taking every hit they threw, and took me away from the place and we went home. That's when he began to try and teach me to stop doing that since he knew that it could get me into some serious trouble… But, as you know, habits die hard."

"Yeah, I know…" Jyugo grumbled in a slightly irritated tone.

"Yeah… Sorry about that." Alan smirked at him. "Like I said, I don't mean anything behind it. Plus, you were being quite stubborn that day. I had to kick you out somehow."

"Kissing someone isn't a way to kick them out of a place!" Jyugo yelled.

"Now you sound like Hajime!" Alan laughed in amusement, causing Jyugo to stiffen.

"Don't compare me to him!" Jyugo said looking almost insulted.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, Hajime pounded me a good number of times." Alan said and subconsciously rubbed his head. "He made sure to be extra hard, too. He actually managed to made me dizzy to say the least."

"Yeah, well, I'm still pissed about that…" Jyugo grumbled, looking off to the side.

"Would another kiss make you feel better?" Alan teased and made kissy noises at him as a joke.

"HELL NO!" Jyugo screeched, causing Alan to laugh in response.

"I kid, I kid." Alan said and waved his hand at him. "I know the errors of my ways. Plus, with Hajime being my superior, I'm positive he's gonna be the guy to knock me the fuck out without help of medication."

"...Now that I think about it," Jyugo began thinking aloud, "that HSAN thing actually explains a lot… How you could get up onto your feet so quickly after getting punched by Rock. How you could attack us and not seeming fazed at all by it. You literally couldn't feel any of that…"

"Now you're getting it." Alan crossed his arms cover his chest. "When I said I couldn't feel that punch, I literally couldn't feel it. Not only can I not feel anything, but I'm abnormally strong… It's a blessing, yet a curse. I can last through a fight longer than a normal human being, but the after affect of it might be devastating to my body. It's pretty bad, to be honest. I almost died plenty of times…"

"You're dieseled as fuck, dude." Jyugo said bluntly.

"I get that a lot, too." Alan said and chuckled.

"You really are easy to chat with… It's freaky…" Jyugo said as he realized how long they've been talking.

"Maybe… But the same can be said to you." Alan said, catching him off guard. "When you're comfortable, or at least not on guard, you listen fairly well to the person who is talking. You listen, which makes it easy to bond with you. Plus, you also woke me up at 3 in the goddamn morning, so I blame you."

"Gee, thanks, way to make a guy feel special." Jyugo replied sarcastically.

Alan snickered in response, clearly enjoying this talk. Even though Jyugo had a grudge against him, he had to admit, he was now starting to actually enjoy this guy's presence. But of course he would never admit that out loud… Jyugo stared at him for a moment and stared at his face. He has seen some feminine men before, and he felt like Alan was taking a new place on his list.

Alan's hair was down since he had been sleeping. His hair was a wavy light brown that curled at the end. To describe it, Alan had straight bangs and short strands of hair that stopped just below his jaw. Jyugo assumed his hair was long considering out he could see the tightness of the back of his head, but he never realized his hair was that long. His longer hair went past his shoulders while a few strands fell over his shoulders. He really did look like a woman.

"So, anything else you want to pry in?" Alan asked Jyugo, now resting his chin back in his palm.

"Nah," Jyugo put his hands behind his head and looked away from him. "It would be boring to learn more about you because you're so openingly honest."

"Touche..." Alan replied and began to stare at Jyugo.

The teen just spun in the chair, but the silence that quickly filled the room was beginning to become insufferable. Plus, with Alan staring holes into his side, it just made it even more uncomfortable. Jyugo stopped spinning and slightly glared at him.

"Okay, your stare is really distracting." Jyugo stated bluntly. "What, something on my face? You're staring as if I'm a circus animal."

"Your eyes…" Alan mumbled softly as he kept eye contact. "They're so weird… No matter what they keep changing. I know that happens with different people, especially with hazel eyes, but I've never seen something as strange as yours… It's distracting…"

"You're distracting." Jyugo said and spun in the chair one more time.

"Oh, how you wound me." Alan jokingly said, still watching Jyugo's eyes. "...As weird as this sounds, your eyes are really pretty…"

"What are you, a woman?" Jyugo said and stopped spinning. "Seriously, some of the stuff you say is weird, dude."

' _For your information, yes I am._ ' Alan stated in his head. "Why do I have the feeling that you have no right to say that…?"

"...Eh." Jyugo turned the chair so his back was towards him. "...Touche."

Alan tilted his head to the side in curiosity. What he said clearly struck some sort of cord with Jyugo. Alan wondered what it was. What made him turn his back towards Alan? Did what he said hurt him? What's in his past that made his demeanor change so quickly? Was there a way for Alan to help him…? Just as Alan began questioning this, rapid footsteps could be heard. Soon enough the door busted open to reveal a very angry Hajime, who immediately spotted Jyugo.

"THE HELL ARE YOU DOING OUT OF YOUR CELL?!" Hajime shouted at him.

"Talking to your newbie." Jyugo replied flatly.

"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU PUT HIM BACK?!" Hajime yelled at Alan.

"Because I didn't see a mean to because he wasn't causing trouble…" Alan replied softly.

WIthin seconds Hajime punched both of them in the head. Both of them held their heads as bumps popped up. Hajime, still seething in anger, grabbed Jyugo by the back of his collar and began dragged him out of the room.

"STAY IN YOUR GODDAMN CELL!" Hajime yelled at him.

As Jyugo was being dragged away, he waved at Alan before being whisked off.

Alan just sat there, trying to understand what just happened in a matter of seconds. ' _That was… Unexpected… Especially at 3 in the mornings…_ '

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	11. Chapter 11

"So he didn't find out the truth?"

"No…"

"And all you two did was talk?"

"Yes…"

"You're lucky that he didn't find that out, otherwise—"

"—I'd be fired, yeah, yeah, I know…"

Hajime had just gotten done giving Alan a lecture for talking with the inmate and not bring No.15 back to his cell. Eventually the older man calmed down and allowed Alan to finally get himself ready for work. Overhearing Hajime talk about a tournament, Alan felt his eye twitched as he became annoyed.

Compression clothing is usually a good thing to wear, especially if you're doing an extraneous amount of activity. But, wearing them for so long was beginning to become annoying for Alan. He just wanted them off for one day, but he knew that he couldn't do that. Not unless he wanted to get fired, that is… And he did NOT want to be fired. So he took the compressions off for an hour before placing them back on. He did this shit for three years and he can do it again.

After putting on his uniform, he stepped out into the office and heard orders about gathering the prisoners. Each one of the guards got the inmates out of their cells and carefully began to transfer them to a large arena-like area for the morning assembly.

Once everyone was gathered there, along with many other inmates from buildings all over, the morning assembly begun. Alan recalled this event that happened each year. One of those years he had been able to get Building 5 to the top and they won. Samon had bragged about it for so long that even Alan had gotten sick of hearing him. He wondered, ' _Has it changed at all since my type in jail…?_ '

"Good evening, and a happy New Years to each of you." Loudly Spoke the Warden to everyone in the area. "Here in Nanba Prison we hold a long standing tradition. A unique way of spending this holiday. Our New Year's Tournament will now begin!"

As if on que, a large banner was tossed down right under the high platform the Warden stood from.

"What's a New Year's Tournament?" Alan heard Jyugo asked, since cell 13's inmates stood right next to him.

"I heard of a New Year's Party but…" Rock's voice trailed off.

"Wow, it hasn't changed at all…" Alan mumbled to himself as he watched the Warden.

"I will now announce the participants from each building for this year's tournament." Loudly spoke the Supervisor of Building 4, Kenshirou Yozakura.

"What does he mean by 'participants'?" Jyugo asked, looking towards the guards.

"This is a special event that each officer and inmates cooperate and form into teams." Explained Hajime. "In other words, this is 'Nanba's New Year's United As One Tournament.'"

"Cooperate?!" Exclaimed the four inmates.

"Each member from each team who manage to win this year will be awarded with a nifty little prize." Seitarou added.

"We guards are awarded with a pay bonus," Yamoto added, "whereas each victorious inmate will be able to select any single item of their choosing!"

This immediately grabbed their attention and the four began yelling at Hajime. They yelled, "HAJIME! YOU GOTTA LET US COMPETE, BRO!"

"Damnit, Yamoto, why did you have to go and tell them…" Grumbled the Supervisor.

"So the rules haven't changed, huh?" Alan asked, looking towards the other guards. "I figured something would've changed at least, but it doesn't seem like it has…"

"You've done this before?" Uno asked Alan.

"Yeah, of course…" Alan nodded to him. "Being an inmate of Building 5, I was one of the cellmates who were able to participate that year. Eventually, we ended up winning in the end. Usually the inmates tend to request stuff like clothes, furniture—sometimes asking for a request to see their family for a day or something like that. But, weapons and money are obviously not an option of the requests. I ended up requesting for a laptop since they wouldn't provide me one back then… I actually still have that thing… But the cells are nominated randomly by the Warden, so even if you volunteer, there's a slim chance that it won't happen..."

"Representing Building 13," loudly spoke Kenshirou which caused everyone to become silent. "...We have Cell 13."

"HOW IS THAT ANY FAIR!" Shouted Seitarou and Hajime in slight despair.

"...And I stand corrected…" Alan mumbled softly.

They all sat down in the many seats that the arena, or stadium, had. Luckily they all got front row seats so they could hear and see all the action that is destine to be taken place. Alan was actually excited for this…

"Yo, Hajime!" A familiar voice called, causing everyone's head to turn towards the source. "I hear your building is gettin' represented by Cell 13. My condolences in advance for the loss."

"Say what?" Hajime growled as rivalry sparked flew between them.

"I'm not sure if you're familiar with my Cell 8 yet, but you will be when we destroy you in this tournament." Declared Samon as fire raged behind the two.

"I don't care if I win this year, but I damn well sure that I won't lose to the likes of you." Hajime growled in return.

"My goodness," spoke another familiar voice, causing everyone's heads to turn again. "You boys are always so aggressive towards one another. Behave yourselves at least. My custom Cell 6 is a custom class."

"Sorry, say again." Alan spoke up, putting his hand to his ear. "Sorry, I couldn't catch that. Your perfume is so terribly strong that even _I_ couldn't tell what the hell is going on."

"Ha!" Samon pointed at Alan. "I see my inmate still has his wit."

"Of course I do, I was under your roof for three years." Alan replied and shared a high five with Samon. "I'm so glad I wasn't put in Building 3's care. My god, I would've died the moment Kiji dared to put any form of makeup on me."

"What was that you brat?" Growled Supervisor 3. "For your information I would've made you look beautiful! But you barbarians must stick together, after all…"

"I rather be barbaric than be one of your pathetic drag queens." Alan stated bluntly. "Hell, I rather have my ears pierced by the Warden's mask than be in your building!"

"Ha! Take that, you heavily makeup peasant!" Samon taunted.

"YOU INSOLENT LITTLE—!" Screeched the bird themed supervisor.

"Come at me, bird brain!" Alan dared, a wide grin on his face, now standing with his fist up and ready.

"You won't even last ten seconds against us!" Samon said, standing right next to him.

"That's quite enough out of all of you." Ordered a voice, causing everyone's heads to turn. "Stop your pathetic banter. It's disgraceful."

Now coming into view was Kenshirou, looking as stoic as ever. He then sharply looked at Alan and glared at him.

" _You_." He spoke. "Stop helping rile the others, otherwise I will personally be the one to activate that mask of yours. I suggest you behave. We wouldn't want another incident like the one your cause five years ago."

"Your damn inmate started it in the first place." Alan growled at him crossing his arms over his chest. "Or do I have to remind you that the Warden herself asked me to take him down since you had no idea what was really going on? That jackass got what he deserved and you know it."

"Yes, because bashing his head in until his face was unrecognizable was exactly what he deserved!" Growled the Superior. "Sit down before I make you obey."

"You little—"

"No.7, that's enough." Samon ordered loudly.

Alan stiffened at the name, his eyes widening in shock. He looked towards Samon and saw his serious expression. Slowly, Alan obeyed and sat back down in his seat. Crossing his arms again along with his legs, he acted like nothing happened. Samon placed his hand on Alan's shoulder and locked eyes with Kenshirou.

"Layoff the new guy. He isn't an inmate anymore and you know it." Samon said sternly. "He's a civilian, and now a fellow officer. I get everyone has grudges against him but it's time to buzz off and let it go. The past is the past, right? Leave him alone."

"...Protective as usual." Kenshirou said, his voice becoming calm again. "Like you said, he's a civilian now. Maybe you should listen to your own words and not order him around."

"That's enough out of all of you!" Hajime growled, clearly becoming agitated. "The kid's my responsibility, got it? I don't care what they hell you all say to him, but if you keep poking at him like you are, I'll be the one to go ahead and teach you all a lesson. This entire conversation is pathetic and pointless. Layoff and prepare for the competition."

The group became silent for a moment. Kenshirou huffed out before turning and walking away. Kiji then stepped towards Alan and pressed against the side of each mask, unlocking the hooks. Alan gazed up at him in confusion and watched him lock the mask and place it on the seat.

"This is a tournament, after all." Kiji said and winked at him. "There'll be fighting involved, and it would be bad if you got a new piercing in the middle of the match." He stood up and smiled calmly at his fellow Supervisors. "Let's see who will win this year, hm? Good luck to us all."

He then turned and walked off. Samon released a sigh and put his hand on the side of Alan's head and rubbed up and down, kind of like a father would do to his son.

"Cheer up, kid." Samon said to him. "Like I said, the past is the past. You know that better than anybody, so don't let them get to you. But, I'm not gonna go easy on you because you used to be my inmate. Prepare for you ass to get beaten."

Alan slowly smirked up at him. "I'd like to see that happen…"

"Heh," Samon smirked and flicked Alan's nose. "You're not the one I'm after, though. But you better be prepared to lose."

With that said, Samon turned and walked off. Alan watched him go before looking towards the ground, his mind still on about what Kenshirou said. Hajime noticed this and groaned softly. He patted Alan's head, almost in a clumsy type of manner, but caused Alan to look up at him either way.

"For once, the monkey has a point." Hajime said, his eyes never leaving the center of the arena. "Calm down, take a deep breath, and get your head out of there. You're my responsibility, so try not to cause anymore paperwork for me, got it? It'll be hard to write on paper for why you smashed a Supervisor's face in."

Alan huffed through his nose, an amused smile forming on his lips. "...Thank you, Hajime…"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Hajime basically shooed him off.

Instead of being offended, it caused Alan to grin a little more. Alan put his elbow on his leg and his chin in his palm as he gazed out to the arena. "Let's play some games..."

Little did the guard notice the intense and shocked stared of the inmates next to him. The expression on Alan's face made it look like the event never even happened. It was amazing with how crazy it got, but calmed down in a matter of seconds. Either way, it still left them pretty uneasy…

"Happy Fu ***bleep*** g New Years you filthy ***bleep**Bleeeep***!" Exclaimed the broadcaster, catching everyone's attention. "Get ready because this party is about to kick off! My name is Mitsuuuuru, and I will be takin' care of the play-by-play commentary!"

' _Loud as always…_ ' Alan thought as he was already covering his ears.

"To win this tournament, one building will have to advance through five different competitions!" Shouted Mitsuru as he was explaining the rules. "Inmates, Guards—we do recommend that you get along together. That is, if you wish to become the chAMPIOOOOOON! WHOOOO!"

"Ha ha ha! Mitsuru appears to be as spirited as ever, doesn't he!" Exclaimed Yamoto.

" _Gah!_ " Alan hissed and stomped his foot on the ground, tightly covering his ears. "He's going to make me go deaf even faster if he keeps screaming like that...!"

"Yeah," grumbled Hajime as he was rubbing his own ears. "One more scream like that and I'll need to visit the doctor for hearing aids…"

"And now, for our first event!" Shouted Mitsuru, "Calligraphy! Or, Kakizome. However you freaky ***Bleep*** wants ta hear it! Your prompt is 'Happy New Years!' Whoever displays the most beautiful kakizome penmanship will win this round!"

"Damn it…" Alan whispered and hanged his head in a sulking manner.

"T-there's no way we can write that…!" Exclaimed Nico, Rock, and Uno.

They all began walking towards the center, getting ready for the competition. Alan was honestly hoping that they would at least change that one round for one year. ' _Hell, not even half of these prisoners are Japanese despite the geography…_ ' As they got to the center with their tools now in hand, Alan could overhear the conversation with the inmates as he tried to do kakizome. It sounded like Uno, Nico, and Rock had ruined theirs and were trying not to despair.

"Look, we're fine as long as we have Jyugo with us." Uno said in a hopeful manner.

"He'll pull us through!" Exclaimed Nico.

"A Japanese native can do this easy!" Rock said with confidence.

Alan stopped for a moment and glanced over. He watched Jyugo flinched when they called his name, asking if he was down. The black haired boy eventually dropped his brush, sulking on both hands and knees at the horror of his work.

"YOU SUCK!" The three inmates shouted at him.

"I can't believe we forgot that the only thing Jyugo's good for is breaking out of prisons…" Muttered Uno.

"Yeah, it's our fault for thinking he was better…" Agreed Rock.

"We're sorry for believing in you, Jyugo." Said Nico.

' _Daaaamn they're harsh…_ ' Alan thought at their words.

"You guys sure know how to hammer in a failure…" Murmured Jyugo as he sounded ready to cry. "I tried my best, you know…"

Alan sighed through his nose and gazed at his own work. Comparing it to the inmates, it definitely was more neater than theirs, but it's still considered sloppy. Gazing at Jyugo's work compared to the others, his honestly looked slightly better, ignoring all the ink strokes he got all over the carpet.

"OH NO! WE WON'T EVEN GET PAST THE FIRST EVENT AT THIS RATE!" Shouted Uno in a panicked tone.

"Yeah, I wouldn't worry about that." Seitarou said towards the group. "In this event it doesn't matter if you're an inmate or guards as long as you get a high score."

The four looked at him puzzled before Seitarou pointed somewhere. Alan followed his hand to see Hajime and Yamoto holding up their banners with perfect Kakizomes. Alan clapped his hands softly as he was impressed.

"OH YEAH! BUILDING 13 SHOWS US HOW IT'S DONE YET AGAIN!" Exclaimed Mitsuru, showing that they got the top score.

"So good…" Muttered Uno in shock.

"What the hell? Damn are they good…" Grumbled Jyugo.

"Oh, yeah, they always win that round every year…" Alan said as he recalled from his own experience. "Every year they're always able to beat everyone because they're 100% natives in Japan…"

"You know, they're actually both licensed calligraphy teachers." Seitarou said factly.

"For real?!" Rock exclaimed as they all looked shocked.

"Oh yeah, I remember now…!" Alan said softly as he hit his palm with his fist gently. "One time they got all the inmates together and those two were one of the teachers to show us how to write in Japanese… I had utterly forgotten about that…"

"You forget a lot of things, huh?" Uno asked him and Alan nodded to him honestly.

"THE HIGHEST SCORE GOES TO BUILDING 13!" Declared Mitsuru.

"Are you really Japanese?!" Sobbed Uno towards Jyugo.

"S-s-s-s-s-shut up!" Jyugo stuttered back at him, clearly flustered for failing this round.

"Kakizome is hard, even for someone who's native." Alan stated so they would hopefully get off of Jyugo's back. "I've seen inmates who have been born and raised in Japan, yet they've done as horribly as all of us. It's not fair for foreigners, or people who haven't been educated in the slightest. But, this Prison is located on Japanese seas after all…"

"See? He gets it!" Jyugo yelled, gesturing to Alan.

"Hold up, what's that part about people being educated?" Uno asked while holding his hand up.

"You don't know?" Alan looked at him, seeming slightly surprised. "There's a lot of prisoners here who haven't been commonly educated, even if they're one of the worst of the worst. Look, I've only been away from this prison for two years from serving my sentence, but I know that there's still people here who still don't know any sort of common knowledge."

"I guess that explains a lot." Uno said before pointing at Jyugo. "This guy can't even count higher than his ten fingers."

"Why do you always have to turn the conversation into an insult towards me?!" Jyugo yelled at him.

"Anyways, the event's over." Seitarou said and began shooing the inmates to the sidelines. "Let's move out of the way so that they can clean up and start the next event, alright?"

Alan followed Seitarou's example and lead the others to the sidelines. Once they were away from the area, other guards quickly acted in cleaning the place up. As the area cleared for the next event to take place, Alan began to think to himself.

' _From what Uno said before, it's clear Jyugo hasn't had a proper education…_ ' Alan thought silently to himself. ' _Both Nico and Jyugo are 16 while Uno is 18 and Rock is 19. Uno appears to be the most knowledgeable out of the bunch, so he might not need any help in learning. Rock seems okay, but I should check and made sure. Nico is very childish, so I should see the extent of his knowledge before helping him. But out of all of them Jyugo will need the most desperate help. I should start with him, actually… Always target the most difficult one, as mom always says. But I wonder if they would even want help… I'll think about it before I do anything…_ '

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	12. Chapter 12

"Any guesses what the next event will be?"

"I don't know… Kite flying maybe?"

"Just ask Al, he's basically a veteran at this."

"Hm…?"

Alan lifted his head up towards the four since he heard his name. He was stuck in thought before they had grabbed his attention. Seeing his slightly confused expression Jyugo spoke up.

"Do you know what the next event is?" He asked.

"Oh, the event?" Alan looked towards the center. "Well…"

"AND FOR OUR SECOND EVENT!" Shouted Mitsuru, cutting Alan off. "AS ALWAYS, THIS IS ONE OF OUR MOST POPULAR EVENTS! THIS IS WHERE THE TOURNAMENT TRULY BEGINS!"

Suddenly large pillars fell from the sky and hit the ground, shaking the entire area. In multiple spread out parts of the area was a gigantic wooden bowl full of rice while stacked on top of three gigantic rumadrops. This was the second tournament event. Alan didn't mind it, but it wasn't his favorite.

"THE HECK IS THAT?!" Exclaimed both Rock and Nico as they pointed at the pillars.

"It's huge!" Jyugo exclaimed in shock and possible horror.

"I'm super lost…" Muttered Nico.

"I think you knock the pegs out from underneath the bowls." Uno answered for him.

"Which are way too big for mochi pounding…" Jyugo murmured.

"THIS IS AN EVENT OF POWER AND STAMINA!" Mitsuru continued. "YOU MUST COMPLETE YOUR MOCHI WITHOUT LETTING YOUR DYNAMA HIT THE DIRT! THAT MEANS EVERY TEAM HAS TWO OPTIONS: EITHER FINISH YOUR MOCHI FIRST, OR AGGRESSIVELY DROP YOUR OPPONENTS DYNAMA TO WIN!"

"...Yeah, that's the event…" Alan said nodding.

' _You're no help at all!_ ' Jyugo and Uno shouted in their thoughts.

"Our first matchup will be Building 5, Cell 8 VS Building 13, Cell 13!" Declared Mitsuru. "NOW GET OUT THERE AND POUND IT, BOYS!"

"So it'll be cell-on-cell from here on out?" Uno said and looked towards the guards.

"Yeah, that's probably accurate." Seitarou answered with Alan nodding.

"Greetings!" Yamato said and walked towards the group, carrying two gigantic dynamas. "Now, which of you would like to do battle at my side?"

"Did you volunteer for this one?" Nico asked him.

"Makes sense to me." Jyugo said. "Looks to me that raw power is pretty key here."

"Prepared, tent, and unafraid, 15." Yamato spoke to him and held out of the hammers out to him. "Care to try?"

Jyugo reached out and grabbed it. Yamoto released the handle and they all watched as Jyugo bent back and the Dynama hit the ground. Uno and Seitarou yelped in horror of how he went down while Yamato seemed utterly fine with holding it.

"How the heck is this thing so freaking heavy…?!" Jyugo grunted as he tried lifting it up.

"Aha ha ha ha! Looks like someone needs more training!" Laughed Yamato as he back balancing the hammer on his own head with ease.

Jyugo released the hammer and lept to his feet and yelled at the man. "WHAT KIND OF MONSTER ARE YOU!?"

"A very, _VERY_ , brutal one…" Alan murmured as he looked pale, recalling his past events with the man.

"These things aren't that heavy." Rock said as he lifted it with ease.

Rock began to copy Yamato and began balancing it on his head. Watching him do that and smiling reminded Alan of a dog with a treat on his nose, being told not to eat it yet. Jyugo turned to Alan in an almost pointed manner.

"I bet you can hold those things just fine…" He muttered.

"Yeah, I can." Alan nodded, ignoring the possible insult of him referring to Alan being a monster too. "I tended to win the Mochi pounding event because I always knocked the other's team's pegs down real fast. But only one inmate and one guard has to do this event, so I'm not allowed to join since Yamato already volunteered…"

"Oh. Okay. I was actually wondering why you weren't stepping up." Jyugo said in a lighter tone as Hajime walked passed them.

"Alright, No.69, you can go with Yamato." Hajime instructed him.

Rock got the hammer off of his head before yelling at the group. "Did you volunteer me?!"

"Actually, you volunteered yourself…" Alan mumbled softly.

Eventually the groups were decided from each team. All the inmates were back at their seats to watch the event from a safer distance. But Alan knew that he had to be on the defensive himself, knowing quite well that even this distance wasn't even enough to be safe. He was honestly glad that his mask was off for the tournament, otherwise he'd be done for…

"Pretty awesome view, huh?" Nico said since they were sitting front row.

"Yes, but this place can be kind of dangerous so please stay by." Seitarou told him in concern.

"Let's introduce this rounds contestants!" Exclaimed Mitsuru. "With Building 13, we have Deputy Supervisor Yamato Gudai! From Building 5, we have officer Inori Hakkai! From Building 13, Cell 13, is Inmate No.69! And from Building 5, Cell 8, please welcome Inmate No.2! Is everybody readyyy?! GOOOOO!"

Immediately Yamato began pounding the rice in the bowl at a surprising strength and speed. Alan could only sigh to calm his jumpiness. Yamato has always been one to surprise, and actually scare, with his brutal strength and speed. It totally didn't help that the older man was laughing as he went along.

"Yamato's amazing!" Nico said in awe.

' _Yeah, amazingly horrifying…_ ' Alan thought but didn't dare to say.

"He's certainly muscular…" Jyugo muttered.

"It's almost scary." Uno added.

Just as Yamato started pounding the mochi, inmate No.2 came in and attacked one of the pegs, knocking it right off. The gigantic peg slammed into the side of the arena before hitting the ground, luckily hurting no one. Alan was becoming uneasy as he could tell this guy will cause unnecessary damage.

"Uh-oh! Looks like Building 13 already lost a block from their Dynamaaaa!" Exclaimed Mitsuru.

"This looks bad…" Alan whispered to himself as he saw the two inmates exchange words.

"Tell me, do those guys know each other?" Jyugo asked.

"Yeah." Uno said before explaining. "Rock was at Building 5 at first, so they probably know each other since then."

"Why did he switch?" Nico asked.

Before that could be answered, the two inmates began fighting. No.2, who apparent was named Liang, was able to break Rock's hammer with a powerful kick. While those two began fighting, the guard from Building 5 jumped onto the bowl Yamato was in. Soon enough, the guy named Inori began attacking Yamato violently.

"So uh, this event's taking a turn, huh?" Jyugo spoke up.

"Not really…" Alan answered him as his eyes never left the ring. "Building 5 is full of combative types of guards and inmates. Guess you can say the building's classified by strength. It the whole reason for why I was put in there myself…"

"Wait, how is this legal?" Uno asked, referring to the fighting.

"They never said it wasn't…" Alan said casually.

"Why're you always so casual like that?!" Uno exclaimed at him.

Alan ignored that comment from him and continued watching. No.2, or Liang, continued to attack Rock aggressively. Rock, on the other hand, continued to use his arm to block his multiple attacks. The same could be said for the guard fighting above them. This looked like it was a pretty even match.

"I intend to win this tournament, and for my prize I'll build a new training ground so I can become even stronger." Liang declared and pointed at Rock. "Rock! What do you hope to gain from these games?!"

Rock straightened his back and was silent for a moment. Alan subconsciously was leaning forwards in his seat, wondering what he would say.

"A stone oven!" Rock boomed.

Alan almost stumbled out of his seat as soon as he heard those words.

"If I win I'm going to have them instal a nice stone oven in our building's kitchen." Rock declared.

"Of all the things you can get why that?" Asked Liang in bewilderment.

"BECAUSE SHIRO SAID HE CAN USE ONE!" Rock exclaimed as tears began running down his face. "HE WAS SO DISTRESSED! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW DELICIOUS PIZZA, MEAT, AND BREAD CAN BE WHEN BAKED IN A REAL STONE OVEN?!"

"Sticks and stones and break the bones but words are what they're usin'!" Exclaimed Mitsuru over the mic.

"He's… He's serious…" Alan murmured, unaware of his eye twitching.

"He's fighting for the kitchen, huh?" Hajime said, not appearing surprised.

"Can't honestly say I'm surprised." Jyugo said. "Old Man Chef and Shiro did say they wanted it. How typical of him…"

"I knew he was a food junkie but I didn't imagine he was _that_ intent on getting one…" Murmured Alan.

"There's nothing quite like an Italian stone oven pizza…" Said Uno in a dreamy manner.

"How absurd." Spoke Liang towards Rock. "To think my rival could devolve into a gluttonous coward…!"

"Rival?" Rock muttered, clearly not feeling the same on those terms with Liang.

"If you think you can defeat me in pursuit of such a ridiculous goal…" Liang sprung forwards to attack. "...then you're a fool!"

Inmate No.2 jumped up into the air and extended his leg out, suddenly being consumed into a type of dragon flame. Alan watched as he slammed right into Rock. He could hear Rock's inmates next to them show concern for their friend, but Alan wasn't as concerned. He watched as the fire disappeared to show that Rock had blocked Liang's attack completely with his lower arm. The attack didn't even push him back. Alan was impressed to say the least.

"Don't even mock my goals. Especially not when you can't even reach your own." Rock growled at Liang, whose foot was still connected to his arm. Rock then grabbed Liang's ankle, restricting the combat fighter. "Fighting's not gonna keep my stomach full!"

With his grip tight on Liang's ankle, he began spinning the other inmate over his head like some sort of toy.

"I love the food in this place, so that's wHY I GOTTA WIN!" Bellowed Rock before punching No.2.

The punch was enough to basically rocket the guy across the stadium. Liang basically hit the ground, bounced off of the ground like a rickashay bullet, and collided right into Building 5's pegs and mochi bowels. It was as if he was imbedded into it like a stamp. Alan was honestly impressed with Rock's skill, even if his reasonings were rather ridiculous to him.

' _It's kinda like a deja vu moment, except with Rock instead of Shiro…_ ' He thought to himself.

"T-this can't be!" Exclaimed the guard from Building 5. "No.2 was defeated with a single blow?! And my mortar is destroyed!"

"You know Inori, I believe that my peaceful living has made me a bit complacent." Yamato said to his opponent.

"Is that so…?" Inori muttered and gazed back at Yamato.

"To combat this complacencies I've decided to follow No.69's example!" Stated Yamato as he walked along the border of the mochi bowl towards Inori.

"H-hey, wait a second!" Inori backed up as Yamato got closer. "Why're you gettin' so serious all of a sudden?!"

"Whatever do you mean? I've always been serious since the day I was born!" Stated Yamato with a big smile. He sung his fist at Inori, colliding right into his jaw, and rocketing him into the air. "IRON FISTED JAPANESE JUSTICE!"

A small scream could be heard from Inori as he began flying down to the ground, slamming into his own mochi bowel, and breaking it along with it's pegs. Alan's eye was now not the only one whose eye was twitching at the sight before them.

"I'm starting to feel like No.69 is a bad influence on Yamato." Hajime said.

"I…" Jyugo couldn't even begin to know where to start. "...Holy crap are those two stupidly strong."

"Nah…" Alan muttered and leaned back properly in his seat. "...They're just stupid."

"That too." Jyugo nodded in agreement.

"HELL YEAH! WE SHOWED THOSE GUYS WHAT FOR!" Exclaimed Rock as he was high fiving with Yamato.

"YOU PERFORMED ADMIRABLY, NO.69!" Complimented Yamato.

Alan could only sigh at the sight. The last thing he wanted was for Rock to become heavily influenced by Yamato, and vice versa. The win caused Building 13 to stay at the top. The other Buildings competed against each other until the event was finished. Once that was finished, the third event began…

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	13. Chapter 13

"Hyakunin what-su?"

"It's like a card game, but with poems."

"100 of them. One on each card."

"You've done this before, right, Al?"

When the four turned their heads towards the guard they were stocked by the state he was in. He looked pale and he was glaring so harshly at the sign that they were positive he could light it on fire. Alan didn't look at them and tilted his head, allowing his hat visor to conceal his hateful gaze.

"I hate this game with a passion…" ln stated, a growl emanating softly from his lips.

"Yeah, he knows this game." Rock cautiously turned away from him and looked towards Hajime instead. "Do we have anybody who can play this game besides Al? Because I have a feeling he might kill somebody…"

"Well, I know one at least…" Hajime said before turning to his right. "You're up, Seitarou."

"Yes, sir!" Saluted the guard.

" _HIM_?! ARE YOU SURE?!" Uno and Jyugo exclaimed in shock.

"Wait, does this mean you're _actually_ useful for something?!"

"You don't have much presence and I kinda forgotten you were here…"

"I didn't know you could read!"

"Why won't they stop being mean to me…?!" Sobbed Seitarou, who clung to Alan's arm.

Alan could only sigh and pat his head to comfort the male. It was beyond him for why people always clung to him as a means of comfort or protection. Plus, Seitarou was technically Alan's superior in both job, status, and age… Already knowing the rules of the game Alan just covered his ears until Mitsuru could shut his mouth.

"Okay, so who else is participating?" Rock asked.

"You already went in the last one, so I suggest you sit out…" Alan spoke to him. "This game is honestly dangerous for the mind. It consumes a lot of concentration and is allowed three players to switch and substitute. One guard's permitted, just like the last game, and then two inmates. So, we have to have someone who's fast and observate… Someone to think on their feet…"

"I'll do it!" Uno volunteered, causing Jyugo to stumble.

"This isn't like flap jack, you moron!" Jyugo yelled at him.

"I realize that." Uno replied calmly to him. "But card games are all the same."

"Yeah, that statement is pretty much false." Rock said behind him.

"So, who should our third person be?" Seitarou asked as he counted on his fingers of the participants.

"No, no, no! We don't want a third!" Uno said confidently and shook his head. "With all due respect to my cellmates there's no way they can do this. I mean, Nico isn't _quite_ brain dead but the rest are hopeless."

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!" Shouted Rock and Jyugo as veins began popping on their heads.

"You're quite the bucket of sunshine, now aren't chya…?" Alan sarcastically said towards Uno before sighing. "Fine. Uno and Seitarou will participate in the third event. Be careful, alright? You're going up against Building 3, so stay on your guard…"

"What, you worried for us? Awe, how sweet!" Uno said in a mocking manner.

"Of course I am…" Alan said bluntly, ignoring his taunt. "Building 3 is classified their inmates by intelligence. Building 3 is in charge of the highly intelligent inmates, Building 4 is more or less 'culture,' while Building 5 is discipline and strength. Don't underestimate any of the buildings, alright?"

"Got it." Seitarou nodded to him. "We'll do our best."

"You're really serious when it comes to the buildings…" Murmured Uno.

"Well, yeah, I got sent to each freaking one…" Grumbled Alan as he rubbed his head. "Building 3 was suffocating, Building 4 was down right annoying, I got kicked out of Building 13 because of the chaos I created, and I was firmly placed into Building 5 after the Superiors figured out my classification."

"You sound pretty irritated." Uno commented.

"Just… get down there and kick their asses…" Alan muttered and began pushing Uno and Seitarou towards the door to the ring.

Once those two gone through the door Alan could only sigh heavily and sit back down. Down in the center going against Building 13 was Building 3. Kiji, the Supervisor, was against Seitarou, while Uno was against the two inmate from Building 3, No. 3 and No.82. No.3 was apparently named Trois while No.82 introduced himself as Honey. A strong aura came from both of the guys, even seeping into the audience.

"That pretty boy aura of theirs is intense…" Muttered Rock.

"Uno's barely hanging in there…" Pointed out Nico.

Jyugo was just scowling at the aura. He glanced at Alan, who sat right next to him, and was surprised by the murderous expression on his face. Just as Jyugo was about to ask if he was okay, Alan loudly hissed like a cat at the inmates from Building 3. But as soon as he did it he stopped and went back to being stoic-faced.

"You have a lot of mood swings, huh?" Jyugo murmured at him.

"Don't even get me started…" Grumbled Alan. ' _I'm a woman after all… My HSAN does dull my emotions, but that doesn't mean it stops it completely… That and I have an explicit hate for cheeky 'pretty boys'... I bet Kiji smothers them..._ '

Alan silently fumed in his seat and watched the match play before him. Everyone got into their places, sitting across their opponent, with rows of kanji written cards before them. Since Mitsuru was in charge of broadcasting, he was also the one to read the poems. Before Mitsuru could even finish the first word of the poem, Seitarou slapped away the card in a flash. Kiji sat there in shock as Seitarou was able to collect every single one in the blink of an eye.

"Heheh, sorry." Apologized Seitarou to Kiji. "I've been told that I have a really good memory."

Kiji could even speak a word, much less make a sound.

"I expected this much of Seitarou! Splendid work!" Exclaimed Yamato merrily.

"He was great." Hajime said rather emotionless. "But, we still have a problem." They all gazed towards Uno. "...He hasn't even gotten a single card."

Looking towards Uno, his opponents kept swiping cards away in almost a perfect manner. They were swiping cards right from under Uno's hand, not even allowing him a chance to gain one. Seitarou eventually came back and joined the group as the match went on. Alan was actually becoming concerned for Uno, even though he knew he himself shouldn't doubt him.

"It seems I'll be winning the inmate side of the match." Spoke the voice of Kiji as he walked past the group in a smirkish manner.

"You were crushed so completely that you couldn't even get a single card." Hajime stated without mercy. "Not exactly the time for you to talk smack."

"Whoo-ho! Yay, I really did good!" Exclaimed Seitarou cheerfully to Yamato.

"Hm! Couldn't even call it a contest!" Yamato said, stabbing right into Kiji's ego.

"Shut your stupid traps!" Snapped the bird as he was clearly agitated "That inmate of yours has no chance, so it'll be a tie!"

"Always so quick to judge…" Alan murmured, not even looking at Kiji. "This is why I can't stand your Building…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kiji asked, a vein clearly popping up on his face. "He doesn't stand a chance against _my_ inmates! As long as they can prevent No.11 from cheating, then it's check-and-mate."

"Ahahaha!" Jyugo busted out laughing at Kiji's words.

"What's so funny?!" Kiji snapped at him.

"You don't know anything about him, do you?" Smirked Jyugo.

"I think I know enough…!" Kiji said and began to grind his teeth.

"Not if you think cheating's all Uno is good for you don't." Jyugo stated, clearly having confidence in his companion. "That isn't even half of it. He's a genius… If you think cheating's all Uno can do then you're in for a surprise~"

"By the way, Kiji, you should stop grinding your teeth." Alan spoke up in a bored tone. "If you keep that up you'll have to stick to dentures."

"YOU INSOLENT LITTLE—"

"Hey, Uno got a card." Alan stated since Kiji was distracted by him.

"W-what?!" Growled Kiji as he looked to the match.

What Alan said was true. Uno had swiped away five cards that went with the poem. The inmate, Trois, could only gape in shock at Uno's sudden fast movements. The inmate Honey swapped with Trois and tried going after it himself. But, Uno proved that he wasn't one to be underestimated. Card by card, Uno was practically matching Seitarou's level of striking for the cards. It was almost entertaining to watch the inmates from Building 3 get so riled up and explode that Alan felt like laughing.

"...Now there's a gambler as his finest." Alan said smirking.

"Impossible…!" Kiji said.

"No, not impossible." Jyugo spoke up and chuckled, getting a good kick out of this. "You shouldn't underestimate Uno just because he doesn't raise a red flag at you."

"Uno's talent is his reliability in his luck." Alan stated as he watched the inmate Honey burst out in a cursing rage. "But it's not his only talent. He's amazing at cheating in a game of poker, and his luck in hard to match. He could probably beat anybody as long as he puts his mind to it. But you know what's great about this entire thing…?" Alan smirked widely at Kiji. "Uno can't read Kanji. He's from Britain."

"A-are you serious…?!" Stuttered Kiji in shock.

"Uno observation skills are terrifyingly accurate." Alan continued talking as Trois took Honey's place once more. "He's always observing. Through small conversations with myself and others, I can tell he's always watching carefully. The gears in his head are always turning, waiting for a key sign that allows him to strike before hand. He doesn't even need to cheat to beat your ' _precious inmates_ ' in this game of cards…"

Uno took away another five cards in one strike before Trois could even act.

"...because his cards are all up his sleeves…" Alan finished and recrossed his legs, looking content. " _Checkmate_." He smirked evilly at Kiji. "Pay up, bitch!"

"Remember this, you damned amatuer," Uno said loudly as he took the last cards. "Winning is never easy…"

"Amazing!" Said Rock, only to look to the empty seat next to him. "Huh? Where'd Nico run off to? The bathroom?"

"H-how…!" Kiji fumed in place, not knowing what to say.

"You shouldn't underestimate anybody, Kiji." Alan said, the smirk never leaving his face. "You can never tell who a real person is by just the way they look… Never judge a book by it's cover, am I right?"

"Of course you of all people would know that…!" Growled the Superior before stomping on the ground. "You little brat…! You're lucky you're pretty…!"

"Who the hell you callin' pretty, drag queen?" Alan barked at him.

"HAJIME!" Screeched Kiji like a banshee. "CONTROL THAT GUARD OF YOURS OR I'LL MUZZLE IT MYSELF!"

"Come at me, bird brain!" Alan challenged, now on his feet and having his fists up.

Hajime yanked Alan back into his seat and punched him in the head twice, making sure to cause him pain. Alan became silent quickly, holding his head down, as a lump grew on it. Hajime clicked his tongue and looked at Kiji.

"Mind getting out of here? You're screeching isn't going to win you the match." Hajime said harshly.

Kiji fumed, stomping in place before whirling around and marching away from the area. Once he was gone Hajime glared down at Alan, seeing how he still had a smug look on his face.

"You're more trouble than you're worth, kid." Hajime said to him. "For someone who's considered to have dull emotions, you get riled up way too easily…"

"I act, it's what I do." Alan said and shrugged innocently, now having his usual stoic face.

"That was acting?!" Jyugo exclaimed in shock.

"Of course it was." Alan said calmly and looked to him. "Kiji and I have this weird relationship of hating each other and riling up the other, but we never really attack each other… It's more or less teasing…"

"So like Hajime and that Building 5 guy?" Rock asked.

"No, not even close." Alan huffed a laugh and shook his head. "Samon, my old guard, hates Hajime with a passion. He likes to think of Hajime as his rival that he has to pummel into submission. _Buuut_ , Samon can never match Hajime's brutal strength…"

"You really like this Samon guy, huh?" Jyugo questioned.

"Well, yeah, of course I do." Alan said honestly. "If it wasn't thanks to him and many others, I don't think I ever would've changed. Like I've said before, I was in a really dark place back when I was a teenager. Nobody really understood what HSAN was, so they could never understand what was going on with me. But, Samon tried helping me when everyone thought of me as unfixable. He actually found a group of people who actually does counseling for HSAN. As stupid as it may sound, it really helped me straighten out my act and start being a stable human being."

He turned his head to him and smiled warmly. "...As weird as it sounds, I'm glad I got through into Nanba Prison."

The two inmates could only stare at him in shock. Jyugo immediately turned his head away from him, feeling almost embarrassed to even look him in the eye. Rock, on the other hand, stared at him a bit longer as his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. To them, Alan looked like a woman…

"Hey, there!" Uno greeted as he finally came back from the arena. "How was my performance? Did I blow your minds?"

"Well, not ours, but you wrecked Building 3." Alan replied and held a small smirk on his face. "Nice job…"

"Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week!" Uno bragged merrily and slapped Alan's hand that he held out. "I overheard you shout. Never in a million years did I ever imagine I'd hear 'Pay up, bitch!' from your mouth."

"Let's just say I enjoyed putting a certain bird in his place…" Alan said as a mischievous look crossed his eyes.

"From what I saw from both here and there, you're both maniacal and psychotic." Jyugo stated and placed both hands down on his lap.

"Thank you, I try real hard." Alan replied jokingly.

"Hey, you should be grateful I won us the round." Uno said to Jyugo and took his seat. "We've won three rounds in a row. If we win this competition, I can get my game room."

Uno and Rock shared excited expressions, think about their prizes they'll gain once the tournament's over. Just as Alan opened his mouth to comment on it, he heard his name being rapidly called by a familiar voice. He turned his head just in time for Nico to come into view and jump at him, latching right onto his back like glue. Alan yelped and almost fell forwards, but he had firmly put his feet in front of him to stop from falling. Once his balance was gained he stood up and got Nico off of his back, ignoring his rapid talking.

"NICO!" Alan shouted, causing the younger boy to stop talking. Alan lowered his voice before talking again. "Calm. Down. What's the problem here? Where'd you go?"

"I went to go get my medicine, and and and," Nico began talking a mile a minute, "there was this guy! He was floating abovetheairlikeaballoonandhewasjustfloatingand—"

"Calm down!" Alan said and gestured his hands up and down as Nico was flailing his arms around. "You're practically panicking. Take a breather and start from the beginning."

"Okay, okay…" Nico mumbled and began taking big breaths of air in and out repeatedly.

"OUR NEW YEAR'S TOURNAMENT HAS FINALLY COME DOWN TO IT'S FINAL TWO EVENTS!" Shouted Mitsuru, gaining everyone's attention. "And the next one will beeeEEEEEE EHEHEHEHEHE!"

Suddenly the ground began shaking. The ground in the arena began to split and divide thanks to metal plates under the ground. Once it was divided it revealed multiple sets of gigantic metal domes in the ground. Alan knew this event quite well and was honestly hoping to try in this one.

"W-what the?!" Jyugo gaped at the hole. "A gigantic hole?! Why is there a gigantic hole in the ground?!"

"OUR FOURTH EVENT WILL BE TOP SPINNING!" Announced Mitsuru.

"If the top spinning stage is that big then does that mean…" Uno could finish as Mitsuru revealed the top spinners.

"These are the tops your teams will be usin'!" He announced, showing the gigantic top.

"JUST AS WE THOUGHT! IT'S HUGE!" Screeched both Jyugo and Uno.

"This event will require good teamwork! Probably!" Mitsuru exclaimed.

" ' _PROBABLY'_?!" Uno quoted in shock.

"Set your tops spinning in the center of the stage! Then figure out a way to knock the other team's top out of bounds, or destroy it!" Mitsurur continued.

" ' _Destroy it_ '!?" Quoted Rock.

"UP TO THREE TEAMMATES CAN PARTICIPATE!" Shouted Mitsuru. "HOWEVER, JUST LIKE IN THE LAST EVENT, ONLY ONE OF THOSE PARTICIPANTS CAN BE A GUARD! BUT FIRST, LET'S REINTRODUCE OUR TEAMS!"

' _I want to play, I want to play, I want to play, I wanttoplayIwannaplayIwannaplay_ ,' Alan began chanting in his head as he stared at the arena.

"Lead by Hajime Sugoroku, a hulking super-human gorilla!" Announced Mitsuru.

"WHO YOU CALLIN' A GORILLA?!" Hajime growled, only to prove Mitsuru's point.

"Building 13 has yet to lose a match!" Mitsuru continued.

"Hahaha!" Laughed Samon as he suddenly appeared, pointing at Hajime. "Seems like a good description to me!"

"Opposing 13, lead by a moronic monkey, all squeal no bite, and is Nanba's No.1 loudmouth, with the lowest IQ is Samon Gokuu!" Mitsuru yelled.

"SAY THAT AGAIN AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS, MITSURU!" Samon yelled at him.

Hajime then proceeded to taunt Mitsuru by imitating monkey sounds.

"He talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk!" Mitsuru proceeded to the other fight. "He too made a comeback via consolation match! He's the one you can smell miles away with those poisonous fumes of his, the heavily makeup drag queen, Kiji Mitsuba!"

"I WILL SUE YOU FOR YOUR SLANDER YOU PRICK!" Squawked Kiji.

Alan couldn't help it anymore. He began laughing loudly, one arm holding his stomach, while the other was flailing up and down.

"It's too accurate…!" He said through laughing. "They're all so true…!"

"SHUT IT, YOU DAMN BRAT!" All three Supervisors yelled at him.

Alan was laughing so hard he couldn't hear Mitsuru introduce Kenshirou, not like he would care, though. Once he got that out of his system he looked at the arena to see Samon and his Cell 8 already down there in their positions, ready for the match. He could slightly feel himself starting to become riled up.

"What should we do they have three participants." Seitarou said and looked at everyone. "Should we send three down there as well."

"I'll pass." Jyugo immediately said.

"Me too." Uno went next.

"I'LL GO!" Alan immediately exclaimed, startling poor Seitarou.

"What's wrong, Nico?" Rock as his companion, seeing him shaking.

"THERE HE IS! THAT'S HIM!" Nico shouted, pointing at one of the two inmates.

"Whoa! You scared me!" Rock jumped away from his overly excited friend.

"ALAN, ALAN, ALAN!" Nico exclaimed and grabbed Alan by the arm. "THAT'S THE GUY I WAS TALKING ABOUT! THE GUY WHO WAS FLOATING IN THE AIR!"

"Whoa, Nico, wai— _AHH!_ "

"WE HAVE TO GET A BETTER LOOK!"

 _ **BOOM!**_

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	14. Chapter 14

"Whoa, Nico, wai— _AHH!_ "

"WE'VE GOT TO GO GET A CLOSER LOOK!"

 _ **BOOM!**_

Nico, who apparently got way too over excited, grabbed onto Alan's arm and jumped over the bleachers they sat on and fell right down into the stadium. But, Alan being Alan, felt his body go into action. He yanked Nico closer to him, basically hugging him tightly against his body. He spun his body around so he collided into the ground first.

Alan slammed right into the ground, breaking part of the metal dome, and was still holding onto Nico. Nico was perfectly unscathed and unharmed, practically sitting in his lap. Everyone could only gape at what they saw before them.

"Wow, Alan, you sure know how to react fast!" Nico complimented.

"...Ow…" Mumbled Alan as he sat up from the debris surrounding him. "...That actually kinda hurt…"

Nico suddenly gasped loudly and got off of Alan and began pointing at one of the opposing inmate. As he began to rant and rave, excitedly talking about the guy who can float. Alan just groaned softly and climbed onto his feet, stepping out of the indent he made, and began to dust himself off.

"Whoa! Now that's an entrance!" Commented Mitsuru.

"Are you okay, Alan?!" Shouted Seitarou from their seats.

Alan just responded by lifting his hand up, giving him a thumbs up to tell him he was fine. Alan walked over to Nico and hit him on the head, causing Nico to crouch down and hold his head.

"Ow…!" Whined Nico.

"That's for idiotically jumped from a high platform and dragging me with you." Alan stated and began to lecture him. "Do you have any idea—"

Alan continued on, beginning to rant and rave to Nico like an angry mother. He was so loud and angry about it that the inmates that were in the audience began to lean back away from him from his harshness. He eventually ended his rant with Nico apologizing.

"Good to know you're as indestructible as ever…" Grumbled Samon as he rubbed his own head. "You even went on an angry rant for thirty minutes. You're such a mom."

"I have three younger siblings. Shut your mouth." Alan stated as his face was completely deadpan.

"How is he still alive…?" Jyugo questioned.

"He's like a miniature Hajime…" Uno said and shivered.

"Are you really participating in this?" Samon asked Alan.

"Yes, yes I am." Alan stated and got whatever dust that remained off of his clothes. "Don't back down just because I'm not Hajime, Samon…"

"I don't have a bone to pick with you so it would be pointless if I fought you." Samon said and looked away from him.

Alan's eye twitched as he glared at Samon. "FIGHT ME, YOU WHIMPY APE!"

"WHO YOU CALLIN' WHIMPY, YOU DISEASED FUCK?!" Samon yelled at him.

"AT LEAST I KNOW WHAT MAKES ME PSYCHOTIC! HOW 'BOUT YOU!?"

"I WILL STICK MY STAFF SO FAR UP YOUR ***BLEEEEEEEP*** "

"C'MON, SAMON! IT'LL BE LIKE OLD TIMES WHERE I ***BLEEEEEP BLEEP*** "

"YOU ARE WAY TOO HONEST WITH OTHER PEOPLE, WHAT THE FUCK! SOMETIMES I WONDER IF THERE'LL EVEN BE A FILTER ON THAT DAMN MOUTH OF YOURS!"

"IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, YOU CAN'T _FUCKING_ TALK!"

"Geez, and I thought you two liked each other!" Mitsuru exclaimed on the mic. "Do you have any idea how much work it takes to bleep all those out? It's annoying, ya know?! You're already down here anyways and wasted everybody's times! GET ON WITH THE MATCH, WILL YA?!"

"I'LL SHOW YOU YOUR GODDAMN PLACE!" Declared Samon as he grabbed onto the cloth that covered the spinning tops. "I'LL TEACH YOU WHO'S A WIMPY APE!"

"I HOPE YOU DO!" Shouted Alan as he did the same as Samon. The two yanked on the cloth, causing the tops to spin out and clash against each other, beginning the match. "BUT YOU REALLY ARE AN IDIOT FOR BEING SO GULLIBLE!"

"What?!" Growled Samon as he glared at him.

"I just got you into fighting me, so ha!" Alan exclaimed, jabbing a finger at him.

"Grr…!" Samon growled at the realization of what he did. "No.58, No.71! Go after the guard!"

Alan noticed two shadows cover him. He looked up to see the two inmates in the air and flying right at him. As Alan got his hands up to block, he noticed something from the corner of his eye. Quickly changing actions, he kicked at the ground, effectively pushing himself out of the way. Slamming into the ground was a familiar weight, causing the two inmates to jump back themselves so they wouldn't get harmed by it. They stepped back as Nico stood in the way, being responsible for the attack.

"Attacking someone 2 v. 1 is fighting dirty…" Nico said, his face utterly serious.

' _What's with that expression…?_ ' Alan wondered but quickly put his attention on Samon. ' _No matter. Samon's my opponent… If Nico could cause that much damage with that little restraint of his, he is more than capable of fighting…_ '

"I have zero tolerance for bad guys who commit such cowardly villainous acts!" Nico declared and began posing. "Say your prays, evildoers! You're gonna get what's coming to ya!"

"...He did not…" Alan stood there and felt his eye twitched. "YOU KNOW WHAT?!" He threw the cloth he had been holding onto the ground. "FUCK IT!"

"Wait, what's Alan doing?" Rock asked.

"I don't know, but he might just go into psycho mode…" Hajime sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Psycho mode?!" Exclaimed the three inmates in concern.

"A lot of times when Alan got pissed in the jail cells, he would go ahead and start using his acting skills and would put them to the test." Hajime explained. "He calls it 'Psycho Mode' because he acts like a mentally ill patient. It's his go-to act he does all the time because it freaks people out so much that he gets them to be silent. It's how he stopped fights in the cells because it made guys piss themselves. He used it on you guys when I ordered him to go capture you and knock you out."

"THAT WAS AN ACT?!" They exclaimed.

"Are you sure he isn't actually psychotic…?" Uno asked as he paled.

"Yeah, we had him tested." Hajime said. "He's as sane as can be."

Alan ran at Samon at a very quick speed. Samon began to swing his staff at him, trying to keep him back. But, Alan got passed his weapon and jumped up into the air at Samon. He got his legs around, Samon's neck and was able to slam him onto the ground, almost like a wrestler's move. Samon was clawing at his pant legs, trying to escape.

"Or he could just do that…" Hajime muttered.

"Was that a wrestling move?" Rock questioned with a raised brow.

"Just like old times, right Samon?!" Alan growled, his mouth in a gigantic smirk.

"Yep…" Grunted Samon as he tried to pry his legs off. "You just _looove_ having people in between yours legs, eh?"

"You did _not_ just pull that joke!" Alan said, but didn't look mad.

"Don't act like you don't enjoy it…" Samon growled.

Samon got his head out from Alan's legs and scrambled to his feet to gain some distance between them. Alan got to his feet as well and put his hands up, looking rather happy. While Alan was taking care of Samon, Nico was attacking the other two inmates. Well, one of the two. No.71 escaped to the top of the bowl and began to rest there lazily to avoid conflict.

"Good to know you're still a combat junkie." Samon muttered towards Alan.

"Hey, I haven't fought you in two years, man." Alan said grinning. "I wanna see if you either softened or if you're able to beat me into the wall."

"You're really annoying, you know that." Samon said and got his staff back into his hands. "Think of this as a lesson from your higher up, got it?"

"STOP FOOLING AROUND AND TARGET THE TOP!" Hajime yelled at Alan, startling the male.

"Aw, come on…" Alan groaned softly.

"Never look away from your enemy!" Samon yelled and swung his staff.

Alan lifted his hand up and grabbed his end of the staff. Restricting Samon's control of the staff, Alan stepped closer to him and brought his foot up. He kicked Samon right in the chest, kicking him right across the stadium. Alan kept hold of his staff, about to toss it to the side until he heard Yamato's voice.

"ALAN, BEHIND YOU!" Yamato warned.

Alan's eyes widened at his warning.

Not even looking behind him, Alan slammed the staff onto the ground and used it to throw himself into the air. Once in the air he watched a bright blue column of energy shot under him, destroying Samon's staff. Alan's eyes widened in shock.

Once the column of energy was gone Alan landed on the ground and rolled back, trying to get a distance from where he was almost harmed. He looked towards the inmate that attacked him, No.58, and felt something hit him in realization. He remembers these guys now. No.58 is called Upa, No.71 was named Qi, and No.2 was Liang. They're all associated with one another from what they had been through.

"Right… I remember now…" Alan mumbled. "His name is Upa. That sign on his head is to suppress his powers. He uses Qigong… right?"

"You're really forgetful!" Samon shouted and appeared behind him, kicking Alan right in the head.

Alan's body flew to the ground. Alan grunted upon collision and waited for his body to stop moving. Once the momentum stopped he got to his feet and touched his head.

"Okay, I'm dizzy now…" Alan mumbled as he felt like the place was spinning under his feet.

"What's up with you?" Samon asked and ran at him. "You're not acting like yourself!"

Alan brought his arms up and blocked Samon's kicks. Eventually the two had grabbed each other's hands, trying to push against each other. Alan was pushing against Samon, trying to hopefully throw him or get him off balance.

"I don't know…" Alan grunted as he fought Samon. "Agitated, I guess. Excited… It's been awhile since I've felt like I'm having fun. All I want to do is fight..."

"Your sense of logic for your actions is honestly terrible." Samon grunted as he tried pushing against him harder. "You keep forgetting so much. What happened once you got out of jail?"

"A lot of shit!" Alan yelled and used his strength against Samon, eventually throwing him over his head.

Samon yelped as he was thrown into the air. Alan backed up and watched Samon try to land on his feet. As Alan got away from Samon, Nico dashed at Alan and grabbed his arm again, now bouncing up and down in excitement.

"That was so cool!" Nico exclaimed. "How you dodged and throw that guy like it's nothing! You're really strong!"

"Uh… Yeah…" Alan muttered, unsure of what to say at Nico's excitement. He put his hand on Nico's head, stopping him from jumping, and calmed him down. "Look Nico, we've got to work together, alright? You go after No.58. I'll go after the top."

"Okay!" Nico nodded and ran back to face Upa.

"Your reflexes are still as sharp as ever I see." Upa called out to Alan. "But you're restraining yourself. We all can tell. Why don't you go all out?"

"If I went all out then the Warden would have my head." Alan said bluntly. "Your fight is with Nico, so I suggest you keep your eyes on that kid, Upa."

Just as Alan finished talking, he ducked his head down and missed an attack. Samon had tried to sneak up behind him and swung his fist. But, Samon had forgotten that Alan's hearing is still pretty sharp. Samon began throwing multiple punches at him, but Alan continued to block or push his fist away from him.

Eventually they kept throwing attacks at each other that Alan was actually becoming bored. He decided to copy Samon, trying to mimic his moves. So far, he's been like a mirror, doing everything Samon was doing. The Supervisor was becoming frustrated with Alan for copying him.

"I can't believe you're doing that cheap move!" Samon yelled at him as their hands kept colliding. "I thought you dropped the mirroring tactic years ago!"

"Yeah, well, you're starting to bore me." Alan replied.

They brought their a foot up and kicked against each other, causing the two to separate and create a distance between them. Alan took a glance at Nico just in time to see Nico dodge and attack from Upa, punching him right in the chest. Alan's eyes widened, watching Upa stumbled back, but he didn't fall down.

"Aw, I'd thought that would work!" Whined Nico. "Alan had done that when we first met him. Did I do it wrong?"

"He… copied me…" Alan mumbled before looking towards Samon to see him come running at him. "...Smart kid…"

Samon jumped up with his leg out to kick Alan. But the guard simply caught his ankle, stopping his movements. Samon's eyes widened as he felt himself pale. ' _That's right…! I utterly forgot to never come at Alan from above!_ '

"Did you seriously just do that?" Alan glared at him, clearly unimpressed. "C'mon, Samon, start getTING SERIOUS!"

Alan threw Samon away from him, watching him hit the ground. Quickly Alan turned and went for Samon's top. He got around it and made sure to eye where Samon was, watching him begin to get back onto his feet. As soon as he saw Samon on his feet, a blue light came from behind him and went towards Nico.

Quickly he acted. Alan ran at the top and jumped up. He swung his leg and smacked it right into the green top. The gigantic spinning top went into the air and towards Samon. Alan's feet hit the ground when he heard the shouts of shock and possible fear. He watched as the top, and a bright yellow beam hit both of the people from Building 5. Alan began walking towards Nico, seeing that now the competition of this event was won. Nico was jumping up and down again in excitement.

"WHOO-HOOO! I TOTALLY NAILED THAT SPECIAL MOVE!" Shouted Nico.

The green haired male suddenly swayed and fell back. But Alan jumped forwards and caught him in time. He chuckled lightly at him, seeing him become unconscious.

"That you did, Nico…" Alan said and carefully picked him up. "But stop being so reckless…"

Alan held Nico up in front of him, his legs wrapped around Alan's waist, and his arms were on Alan's shoulders. Alan walked towards the exit and was met with paramedics. He patted Nico's head before handing him over to the medics. Seitarou actually came down and said he would go ahead and watch over Nico. Alan thanked him before going back to their seats. When he got there Hajime gave him a harsh look.

"Why'd you hold back?" Hajime asked.

"Because unlike you, I actually care about Samon." Alan stated and walked to his seat. He sat down with a big sigh. "That felt more tedious than I would've asked for, but we won, so… Yeah…"

"For someone who held back, your strength is something to fear." Jyugo stated bluntly.

"So I've been told…" Alan muttered and sighed. "To be honest I wanted to go full out but that would've been a terrible idea…"

"Yeah, we're glad you didn't." Uno said.

"Now, time for the last event…" Alan muttered and stared at the stadium, watching as the plates came back and sealed up the open areas. "This is going to be the big one. But I wonder who's gonna do it…"

"Why, what's next?" Rock asked.

"You'll see…" Alan replied before he began to rotate his neck. "God, my back feels weird. How the hell can Nico have that much strength? Geez… I'm not even all that light either…"

"Guess you can say he's a special case." Jyugo said. "By the why, what was with all that shouting you and Samon had earlier. We were positive you were going to kill him or Nico."

"I wanted Samon to fight me." Alan explained. "But, Samon wanted nothing to do with me, really. So I gave him a reason to want and fight me. By riling him up, he fell for my plan and started the fighting with me. I wanted to fight Samon again because I haven't fought with him for two years. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't have fun..."

"Right, because there's nothing funner than trash talking your old prisoner guard to beat him to death." Uno said sarcastically.

"Exactly~" Alan replied in a joking manner. "Give him a gold star."

Alan clapped his hands and watched Uno roll his eyes. Jyugo snickered in between them at the exchange. Alan smiled lightly before gazing out at the arena. ' _Let the last of the games begin, I guess…_ '

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	15. Chapter 15

"Thanks for waitin' everyone! The final event for this New Year's tournament is about to begin!"

"Why does he look like he's been shot in the head?"

"Who knows? Maybe Mitsuru is now one of the walking deeeaad..."

"DON'T SAY THAT! YOU'LL GET ME PARANOID!"

Alan had wiggled his fingers in front of Uno, being the one to say walking dead, and got Uno leaning as far away from him as he could get. Alan snickered at his response. He sat back and listened to Mitsuru talk about the last event. It was now Building 13 against Building 4. Alan usually enjoyed the Sake Barrel Opening because you could beat the living crap out of your opponents or just get to the barrel as fast as possible.

"A sake barrel ban, eh? That does fit in with the New Year theme." Jyugo said and looked to his cellmates. "So? Which one of you is going?"

"Shut up and get your butt out there!" Uno shouted as he and Rock both kicked Jyugo in the jaw.

"Yeah, you're the main character after all!" Rock shouted as Jyugo hit the ground.

"Sheesh, you guys are seriously lazy." Jyugo growled at them as his face began to bleed.

"Actually you're the lazy one." Alan stated factly. "Rock was apart of the Mochi Pounding, Uno participated in the card game, and Nico had helped me in the last event. So, you're technically up, Jyugo…"

"Uuugggh, whyyy?" Jyugo groaned, clearly not wanting to do it.

"He just gave you the reason!" Uno yelled at him and began pushing him towards the door that goes to the arena. "Go down there and participate! Do it for the prize, man! I need my game room!"

' _How selfish of you, Uno…_ ' Alan thought.

"You're lucky there's a prize we can gain." Jyugo muttered and began going down.

Once Jyugo disappeared from sight Uno said back down. Apparently Hajime went down as well and will be working along with Jyugo. When Kenshirou and his inmate got to the center, Alan could help but glare. There was something off about that inmate… He had this band around his eyes, making him incapable in seeing. Being in the front row as they were, they could hear the faint conversation between the four. Hearing the tone Jyugo was using, it was clear he knew the guy, and he didn't like him.

"What's got Jyugo's panties in a bunch?" Uno asked, trying to keep the mood light.

"I couldn't tell ya." Rock shook his head.

"Jyugo knows that guy…" Alan said as he cupped his ears to possibly hear better. "That guy… Jyugo called him Musashi. Apparently they were old cellmates from another prison. And from what and how Jyugo spoke… It appears they both have some pretty bad blood against each other…"

"You got that all from a conversation you weren't even apart of?" Uno asked, looking surprised. "That's impressive."

"I've trained myself to pick up on emotions in people's voices and I use sociology a lot of times," admitted Alan. "It's a life skill I picked up on and use when I'm talking to people. From hearing them talk… Jyugo wants to rip that guy's throat out."

"Alright boys, let the final event… BEGIIIIIN!" Shouted Mitsuru.

The four began running. But not even a minute after starting did the inmate Musashi went straight after Jyugo. Musashi striked down at Jyugo with the heel of his foot, but Jyugo lifted his arms up and blocked it from harming him severely. It pushed Jyugo back, and Musashi lashed forwards with a punch. Again, Jyugo blocked. Not even a minute in this match and Alan is already on the edge of his seat.

"Surprise flying axe kick! That's gonna leave a mark!" Exclaimed Mitsuru.

"Damn he's strong…" Alan hissed under his breath.

Jyugo got back onto his feet, but seemed to be in pain. Alan was starting to become concern for him. That attack looked harsh and probably could break some bones if it was used just right.

"This Musashi guy," Uno began to speak up, "he's got his eyes completely covered up. Do you think he's fighting blind for real?"

"His other senses must be strong— _way_ stronger than normal." Rock said.

"I can vouch for a fact that it's probably true." Alan added as he eyed Musashi carefully. "Something's up with his eyes, that's for certain. It just seems weird to me… He doesn't have shoes on, and his hair is out of his ears. From that, I can probably bet that he can hear very well, and he possibly feels the vibrations in the earth to get around. I'll bet his sense of smell is strong, too…"

Alan looked away from the two and looked at the Supervisors. Kenshirou had used his weapon, a type of whip, to stop Hajime from moving forwards. It was clear that Kenshirou was after something from Hajime, and stopping him from winning was one of them. He wants to humiliate Hajime, but why…?

Kenshirou used his whip to throw Hajime into the air. As soon as he got to the highest point, Kenshirou yanked down on his whip. He was planning on smacking Hajime to the ground. But Hajime was not one to be taken down so easily. He got out of the weapon and landed on his feet instead, clearly uninjured. Hajime rushed forwards and punched at Kenshirou, who quickly blocked the attack by using his whip.

Both battles were becoming intense. Jyugo tried to get to the stairs, but Musashi got in the way. Just because he wasn't running up or trying to get to the Sake Barrel told Alan he wants something. Something from Jyugo. He only wished he knew what it was. There was just something not right about this. Trying to take his mind off of them he looked towards Hajime. Gazing back at his Superior, Alan saw that he was holding up two guns. Looking past him was a box filled with weapons. But, weapons aren't permitted, so Alan could only assume they were all fake weapons. Mitsuru's announcement about the boxes only confirmed his suspicions.

The two kept diving into the box and grabbing weapons to use on each other. As they fought, Alan noticed something that caught his attention. Kenshirou kept looking up at the Warden, as if he was waiting for some sort of approval or compliment.

' _So that's what you're after…_ ' Alan thought to himself. ' _The Warden's attention? But, why would he want that? A promotion? A nice little pat for being her lap dog? Or… maybe…_ '

"It's kind of weird to think that Hajime is stronger when he fights barehanded." Rock said, snapping Alan out of thought.

"His match isn't going to be a problem. It's Jyugo I'm worried about…" Uno said.

"You too…?" Alan asked, now looking back on Jyugo.

"Jyugo isn't great at a lot of things." Uno stated as they watched the fight. "Honestly the only sort of talent he has is jailbreaking. If anything he just knows enough about fighting to get by, but… That Musashi guy isn't somebody to underestimate."

Just as he said that, Musashi shoved Jyugo into the wall with one hand. Alan felt his body tense up, having to force himself to remain seated. He strained his ears to hopefully hear what they were saying. To be honest, he kind of wish he hadn't.

"I can't even tell if you're trying… Hmph…" Musashi had a smug look on his face. "What happened to that savage nature? That fierceness you had when you gouged out my eyes… Ha!"

"What…?" Alan muttered, clearly surprised.

"Huh, what's up?" Uno asked him, seeing his reaction.

"I just heard what that guy said…" Alan muttered. "He just said… Jyugo gouged out Musashi's eyes…"

"What?" Uno sat up right, along with Rock, who looked in disbelief.

"That's impossible." Rock said. "Jyugo would never do that, right?"

"I would like to believe so…" Alan muttered and kept his gaze on them. "...He's never shown any signs of actually brutally harming someone like that, right? Never talked about it, or has given any signs…?"

"No! Of course not!" Uno exclaimed, looking very defensive. "That guy's lying, he's gotta be!"

' _If he's lying then why isn't Jyugo denying?!_ ' Alan wanted to say, but kept his mouth sealed. He shouldn't have asked, especially Uno…

Alan kept his eyes on the inmates, not caring for the Supervisors. He was more worried about Jyugo. Alan didn't know why he felt so anxious. He only ever felt this much emotion since the time he thought his younger sister, Eva, was going to fall out of a tree. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was just something that was telling him that something that wasn't right. Seeing Musashi bash Jyugo's head into the wall again and again wasn't helping the case either.

"The bastard…!" Alan was on his feet and began growling under his breath. "He's going to kill Jyugo at this rate…!"

"Should we do something?" Uno asked, sensing his anxiety.

"...No." Alan shook his head. "Not yet. We have to wait… Musashi is after something. Something that Jyugo has. I can tell by his actions. He's taunting him, riling him up—getting him to act up and react the way he wants. If only I knew what he wants…"

"Hey, I think you should calm down." Rock said towards Alan. "You won't be able to help anybody if you're acting up like this."

Alan's lips pressed together into a flat line. He took a deep breath and exhaled through his nose while sitting back down. Rock was right. If he was just creating this anxiety for the others instead of comfort. He had to calm down and watch. If he interrupted this tournament in the slightest, he'd be risking more than just his own hide. He would be risking the safety of others. And in this case, it would be Jyugo.

"WHERE IS HE?!" Screamed Jyugo, clearly filled with nothing but rage. "DON'T YOU IGNORE ME MUSASHIII!"

Everyone got chills down their spines at Jyugo's yell. He screamed in pure rage and began attacking Musashi, striking at him in nothing but raw rage.

"I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING IF YOU CAN BEAT ME!" Musashi yelled and thrusted his hand towards Jyugo.

"JYUGO!" Alan found himself screaming in concern.

Suddenly a ball of fire came from Musashi's hand, a column of fire flying right at No.15. It hit Jyugo straight on, causing him to fly back and collide straight into the wall. Alan was on his feet already, Uno and Rock now standing next to him.

"First we get a guy who can use chi and now a pyromancer?" Uno said in alarm.

"Do you think Jyugo's okay?" Rock asked.

"Something's not right…" Alan said softly as he was staring at the spot Jyugo was thrown in. "Something's just not right…!"

"What do you mean, 'not right'?!" Uno asked. "Mind explaining what's happening?"

"...If I knew what, I would be kicking that guy's ass…" Alan growled as his eyes were as wide as ever. "Look, you two stay here wh—"

Alan couldn't even finish his sentence as something was happening before their eyes. From the area that Jyugo had been under, strange blade appeared from out of the debris. Suddenly the pieces of rock flew off and a strange, deadly aura took place in the area. Alan could only gape in shock, ignoring the flying questions of Seitarou and Nico who have finally returned from the infirmary. For someone who doesn't have a sense of touch, he was damn well positive that all hairs were standing up on end.

Standing in the place of the debris was Jyugo. But it wasn't the same Jyugo they saw moments ago—oh no. The shackles, or cuffs, that were on his wrist, ankles and neck were suddenly gone. His clothes seemed more torn, and it was understandable why. Where his arms should be, right at the base of his elbows, were long, sharp blades.

' _Jyugo… His eyes…_ ' Alan felt himself begin to panic. ' _Why're his eyes the same color… and his arms are turned into blades…?!_ '

Watching Jyugo intensely, the teen shouted something in pure rage and swung his arm at Musashi, causing a type of an unnatural slice. Musashi dodged, of course, but the slice was coming right where the group stood.

Something snapped instead of Alan's head when he saw the slice coming for them. His concern instantly went to the inmates next to him as his body began to react. At that slice of a moment, Alan wasn't playing a role as a male guard anymore. Instead, Alloisia became herself again as she rushed at the three in an attempt to save them.

Alloisia grabbed each of them in her arms and jumped away from the attack. She could sense the attack hitting the stands, hearing the solid material breaking, and feeling the gust of wind hitting her back. Her feet hit the ground and she skidded to a stop. She then saw Yamato hold Seitarou come into view and land right next to her. Screams could be heard as prisoners and guards rushed out of the stadium. To state it simply, it was turning into chaos. Staying as calm as ever, she placed everyone down, seeing them all in a sort of state of shock. She honestly couldn't blame them.

"Is everyone alright?" Yamato asked after placing Seitarou down.

"We're fine thanks to Alan." Nico said.

"I can't believe we lived…" Muttered Uno.

"This is bad." Alloisia spoke and stood up straight. "Seitarou, contact whatever guards you can and make sure the evacuation is going alright. We need all of the inmates out of here before any of them can get hurt. Yamato, keep these three with you. They'll be safer in your hands than mine."

"What'll you so?" Seitarou asked.

Alloisia turned and looked at where Jyugo and Musashi stood. "I'm going to stop Jyugo from harming anybody else. As a guard, it's my job to make sure the inmates stay in line, and are protected. This case is no different…"

"Alan, wait!" Rock exclaimed, but she paid little to no attention.

She jumped onto the wall and began running along it, trying to get to Jyugo as fast as she could. Jyugo was striking at Musashi as much as possible, clearly having the intent to possibly kill. ' _I have to stop him. I can't allow him to do anymore damage than he's already done!_ '

Without a second thought she jumped right on towards the two. They were running at each other, Musashi with his fire in hand while Jyugo held up his arm-blades. But before either of them could collide though, Alloisia appeared in the way. She grabbed Jyugo's arms while simultaneously wrapping her legs around Musashi's flaming arms. She pushed the both, changing the course of their attacks.

Jyugo's blades hit the dirt while Musashi shot fire into the air. Even though she was able to stop their attacks from hitting, she idiotically got herself right into the middle of it. Literally. Alloisia retrained both of their movements, basically being the connecter in between them.

"Who the hell're you?" Musashi asked, surprised to have his arm being restrained.

"I'm the person who's going to beat your ass." Alloisia stated as her tone was ice cold.

Releasing her hold on Jyugo's arms, she used the strength in her legs to get herself upright and facing Musashi. She released her leg's hold on his arm while punching him right in the jaw. She put so much strength behind the attack that Musashi flew to the other side of the stadium. But, of course, his feet stayed connected to the ground and was able to dig them into the dirt, preventing himself from hitting the wall. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she whirled around with her leg up, only for her foot to collide with the side of Jyugo's blade.

She just couldn't believe that this was the real Jyugo. His sharp, blood red eyes glaring at her in rage. His sharp teeth being bared like a wild animal. This was someone who has been tormented, and broken, for the longest of time. This was Jyugo showing his pent up rage and emotions, turning him into a wild animal.

' _I have to stop him_.' She told herself, her expression cold and stoic as her eyes revealed her fierce desire to protect. ' _I have to stop them both before they get themselves killed…!_ '

"Get out of my way…" Jyugo growled at her. "I WON'T LET ANYBODY STAND IN MY WAY!"

The boy swung his other blade at her. Alloisia acted fast, fucking her head and jumping back to dodge. Jyugo went after her, swinging his arms like a madman. She quickly grabbed the base of his arms, trying to prevent them from swinging down and creating more of those powerful cuts.

"That's enough, Jyugo!" Alloisia shouted at him. "If you don't stop now, I won't stop restraining myself anymore. I'll make sure you won't be waking up from this any time soon, do you hear me?"

"You don't know anything…" Jyugo growled at her. "You know _nothing_. If you don't get out of my way, I slice those legs of yours off without a moment's hesitation."

Before she could respond, she heard something coming fast at them from behind. Seeing the light from the corner of her eyes, she lifted her foot up and kicked Jyugo back, watching him fly out of the way. Alloisia jumped back, just in time to dodge a gigantic fireball that came her way. It instead went straight for the Supervisors, preventing them from coming closer. The woman turned towards Musashi, seeing as he was the one responsible.

"Do you mind? I was have a real nice talk with Jyugo." He spoke to her, taking one step at a time. "I'll answer all the pretty little questions you want after I finish talking with him. Bu for now, I'lL HAVE YOU BURNING IN MY FLAMES!"

Once again, Musashi threw a powerful attack. But Alloisia was faster than him. She kicked herself off of the ground and into the air, the attack completely missing her, and flew over his head. Her feet landed on the ground and she skidded across the ground, still having a pretty large distance away from Musashi.

The guy didn't hesitate to do another move, lighting the ground on fire. He created this type of ring, only having him and Jyugo inside. Alloisia knew she had to get in there and attack. Even she's not as invincible as everyone makes her out to be.

But before she could so anything, multiple slices came from the flames. Alloisia got out of the way, watching the harsh attack bring the fire with it. Once it collided into the walls and died down, she turned to the two prisoners. As her mind tried to figure out a plan of action, seeing as those two won't stand down by words alone. As she thought, she saw Musashi planning to another fireball at Jyugo, who was currently running at him to attack himself.

"TRY DODGING THIS!" He shouted and threw the attack at him.

" _NO!_ " Alloisia shouted and found herself moving.

"YOU IDIOT!" Hajime shouted at her from afar.

Alloisia jumped right into the line of fire, directly in front of Jyugo. She got her arms in front of her face just as the fireball hit. She, along with Jyugo, flew back and collided right into the ground.

Jyugo quickly recovered and got himself moving again. Once he sat up, he saw Alloisia's body still lying right under him, not moving a single inch. Each one of his blades had gotten embedded into the ground, one under her right arm while the other was right next to her head. When he got a good look at her, his eyes practically bulged out of his head while his fiery rage was momentarily forgotten. He could only stare as he tried to fathom what he was seeing.

"Alan… is a woman…?"

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	16. Chapter 16

"Alan… is a woman?"

Jyugo could only stare at Alan in shock. The person he thought was a ' _he'_ for so long is actually a ' _she'_. Alan just laid under Jyugo, her eyes shut as she looked like she was in pain. Alan's head was turned towards the right, her hat gone somewhere, and her hair out of it's tie. Her hair was spread out around her head on the ground in a wavy mass. The jacket and thick vest she wore over her white button up was burnt in the front, and had revealed her torso. Her white shirt appeared to be fine except for a few plastic buttons. The tie she would wear was on the ground where her neck was, probably from being burned. The top of her shirt appeared to be partially burnt, revealing a shirt she wore underneath the white shirt, that was burnt as well. The burnt clothings were enough to show that she was a woman.

The woman under Jyugo began to open her eyes, her eyebrows furrowed in what appears to be pain. She grunted softly and looked up at Jyugo who hovered over her. Just as she was about to open her mouth, a fist suddenly came into view and hit Jyugo right in the gut. Jyugo flew back and off of her. She sat up with her arm out as if to grab him as she was shocked by the fast movement.

"Jyugo!" She exclaimed in concern.

"Worry about yourself for once." A familiar voice of Hajime spoke to her. She gazed to her right to see that of course Hajime was the one to punch him. "Stop concerning yourself with the inmates. Both of them won't hesitate to kill you the moment your guard is down."

"Your emotions always have gotten the best of you…" Kenshirou added, now standing on her left.

"For your information…" Alloisia grunted and forced herself to stand up. "...my emotions are the thing keeping me human. I care about these inmates far more than anybody would. It's why they trust me…"

"Not those two." Kenshirou stated. "No.634 will burn you to a crisp while No.15 will be slicing you in half while you burn. They will hurt you if you get in the way again."

"Didn't the Warden order for their recapture?!" Alloisia growled as she was standing up now. "All I need is a chance with No.15. Leave him to me. We need as many people going after No.634 before he burns the entire place down."

"You do realize you're going to get fired after this, right?" Hajime asked her.

"My job at the moment isn't as crucial as stopping those two." Alloisia stated, knowing quite well that her disguise was ruined. "Just trust me in this and—"

"Hey, you all just gonna stand around lookin' pretty?" Spoke the voice of Musashi, grabbing everyone's attention. "Nice job standing all in one spot for me!"

Musashi shot fire at the three. Alloisia got ready to run, but two familiar figures stopped her from running. They stood before them and thanks to their weapons began to protect them. The fire didn't even touch them. Alloisia watched as the fire died down, revealing Kiji and Samon to be their saviors.

"Think you can beat the Nanba Guards?!" Growled Samon at Musashi.

"Just try!" Kiji dared him.

"As for you two," both Samon and Kiji turned and pointed at Hajime and Kenshirou. "Use your heads for once, you damn fools!"

"We're getting scolded…?" Hajime grumbled.

"By these losers…?" Kenshirou questioned.

"Those losers just saved our asses." Alloisia said and stepped forwards. "We were all given the order by the Warden herself to capture the rogue inmates. We need to work together and stop them at once."

"Let me guess, you already have a plan?" Samon asked, causing Alloisia to smile.

"You know me too well…" She smirked before looking serious again. "Samon, Kiji, you guys can nullify Musashi's attacks. Go after him. Kenshirou, he's your inmate. Show him precisely what happens when hell's raised against the Nanba guards. Hajime, I need you to keep Jyugo distracted long enough for me to restrain him. I'm confident that I can talk to him, but I can't get through if Musashi keeps provoking him."

"I was just thinking the same thing." Kiji smiled.

"Try not to go berserk." Samon said while smirking.

"I can't believe we're taking orders from _her…_ " Grumbled Kenshirou.

"Just know that I won't hesitate to act if this goes south." Hajime told Alloisia, looking down her rather coldly.

"It won't go that way as long as we act." Alloisia said and found herself running at the inmates. "But HELL I'LL GIVE 'EM!"

Alloisia went towards Musashi first. As soon as she got close she jump up and swung the back of her leg at him. Musashi blocked it with his forearm, of course. With her other leg she kicked off of him and onto the ground. She lashed at him and began throwing punches with her bare hands, her gloves being burned off moments ago. Musashi just kept blocking, his smirk wide as it was clear he didn't think much of her.

"What's with those punches? What are you, a woman?" He mocked.

"For your information," Alloisia swung her fist up, colliding her knuckled right into his jaw. "YOU BET YOUR ASS I'M A WOMAN!"

Musashi stumbled back, trying to recoil from that hit. But Alloisia didn't let him. She grabbed him by the shoulders and swung her leg up as hard as she could. Musashi let out a loud howl of pain, almost causing everyone to actually stop at the sight. Even Uno, Rock and Nico were cringing at the very sight. Alloisia retracted her leg and watched him go down.

"I'll have you know that I can kick harder than that…" She spat at him before looking towards Samon. "I leave him to you guys!"

"Well, that definitely is a type of hell for any man…" Samon muttered at the sight of Musashi.

"You… _bitch…_ " Musashi groaned as he tried getting up again.

"I don't think so." Kenshirou was quick to act.

He saw Musashi raising his hands up again as Alloisia was running away from him. Kenshirou used his whip to wrap around his wrist and yanked it back and away from her. Samon began to use his technique as quick as he could while Kiji tried to block any sort of fire the guy had left in him. While they began to take care of him, Hajime was going after his own inmate.

Alloisia watched carefully as Hajime was firing rubber bullets at Jyugo. The teen of course kept slicing everyone that came at him. Only when Hajime ran out of another round did she went ahead and intervene. Hajime changed the casing just as Alloisia jumped right into Jyugo's view. Jyugo actually stepped back, trying to register the fact that a _woman_ was standing in front of him.

"Jyugo, that's enough!" She shouted at her, holding her arms out as if to shield Hajime. "Do you even realize how much damage you caused?!"

"Stay out of my way…" Jyugo growled at her, lifting his blades up to show he wasn't messing around. "I will find that man… Where is he…!?"

"Man…?" Alloisia muttered before raising her voice at him. "What man?!"

"The one with the scar…" Jyugo growled as he looked to be getting riled up again. "The guard with the scar on his neck…! Where is he?! TELL ME WHERE HE IS!"

Jyugo screamed out and lashed at Alloisia. She quickly dodged his blades, trying hard to avoid each direction he swung in. Taking a risky move, Alloisia ran towards Jyugo and got close to him. She grabbed his arms, just like she had down before, and began fighting against him so he doesn't slice down.

"Look at me, Jyugo, look at me!" Alloisia shouted at him, locking her eyes with his wild ones. "Listen to me! You need to calm down right now! You'll never meet this guard with the scar if you keep this up, understand? Did this man with the scar do something to you? Is that why you're being so crazy right now?!"

"I'll never forgive him!" Jyugo shouted right in Alloisia's face. "I'll find him, and I'll kill him! That's what I'll do!"

"Why aren't you listening…?!" Alloisia growled and him felt him pushing against her hands. "This isn't you, Jyugo! You're not some savage whose instinct is to kill! You're giving Musashi just what he wants… He wants you to think you're some freak—a monster. But you're not, okay! You're a human being, understand?!"

Jyugo justed growled at her, continuing to put against her. Alloisia stepped back, trying to regain her footing since he was going all at it.

"It's time for you to stop, okay!? You need to stop and calm down!" She exclaimed, tightly holding onto him. "I'm not your enemy, Jyugo! I'm trying to _help_ you. But I can't do that if you won't listen to me!"

Jyugo's breathing was loud and fast, just like a wild animal's breathing. Just as Alloisia feared he was going to go wild again, two arms came from behind Jyugo and practically tore him away from her. To her surprise, Uno suddenly stood in front of her while Rock and Nico began restricting Jyugo from behind.

"Jyugo, we go back a long way, huh buddy?" Uno began trying to talk to him. "Trust me, you don't want to do this."

Jyugo stared at him for a moment before he began struggling more violently. Alloisia quickly acted and got behind him, too. She grabbed Jyugo's left arm, allowing Rock to restraint the right. She even wrapped her left leg in front of his own, trying to make it hardly for him to use his feet.

"Jyugo, please! Just listen to us already!" She yelled at him, hoping he would stop.

"You have to stop or they'll take you to trial and make your sentence even longer!" Nico exclaimed, trying to convince Jyugo.

"C'mon, man! You have to stop!" Even Rock shouted at him.

Jyugo just kept struggling. Rock got pushed back, almost getting stabbed by Jyugo's elbow, while Nico fell to the ground to miss the blade. Alloisia felt her body get thrown over his, finding herself on the ground. She gazed up to see Jyugo raising his blade high, now facing Uno.

"NO!" She shouted and found herself moving again.

She got back onto her feet and rushed forwards just as Jyugo was slicing down. Alloisia jumped in the way, both hands up, and she caught the blade in her hands, she could feel it slicing her palms, the feeling of pain beginning to throb through her hands. She gritted her teeth, trying to ignore it as she kept her gaze with Jyugo.

"Please, just stop already…!" She found herself begging, trying to find a way to stop him. "You have to realize what you're doing, Jyugo! You almost hurt your friends! I know this isn't you! The Jyugo I know cares for his friends, especially his cellmates! Please, just stop this…! There's no need to be so angry… You have no reason to be this way!"

Jyugo just stared at her, the strength he was putting in his arm seemed to almost relax. Alloisia pushed his arm away, allowing it to hit the ground. She rushed forwards and wrapped her arms around his head, bringing him close and holding his head against her chest. Her breath was becoming shaky as she could feel herself becoming emotional.

"Just stop it, okay...?" She begged him, even her voice becoming shaky. "There's no need to be so violent anymore. I don't know what you've been through, and I know you're angry. But, I _need_ you to calm down. Be the Jyugo who teased and taunted me—the one who listened so well to any conversation he heard. I know you're a good kid… I _know_ you are… So, please. Just stop this…!"

Jyugo just stood there, his arms still as blades, with his head pressed against her chest. He could hear her rapid heartbeat, feeling and sensing the warmth in her tight embrace. The others could only watch in awe as Jyugo lowered his arms until they were just hanging at his side.

"Why… do you care…?" Jyugo asked, his voice not even above a whisper.

"Why...?" Alloisia released a huff and pulled her arms away to cup each one of his cheeks. She smiled at him as he kept his eyes locked on her gaze. "I care because it's my duty. You're special, just like everyone else here… I care because it's the only thing that I know how to do… And I care for _you_ , Jyugo..."

Jyugo could only stare up at her, his face written in what appeared to be confusion or awe. Just as Jyugo moved slightly, something hard collided into his gut. Alloisia could only stand in shock, watching Jyugo practically get ripped out of her grip, and saw him collide into the wall right before her eyes. Her jaw was open as she lost her breath, shock taking over.

"Jy… Jyugo!" Alloisia shouted in concern.

"You're too sentimental." The harsh voice of Hajime rang in her ears. "He could've sliced you down. This is why we don't have woman guards around here…"

Alloisia turned her head and watched as he marched up to Jyugo's slumped up figure. Hajime grabbed onto the collar of his clothes and began to interrogate him. When he wouldn't respond, Hajime would just give him a punch to the face. With each hit Jyugo received, Alloisia felt her own chest beginning to hurt, unable to do a thing.

"Hajime, stop!" Uno shouted at him. "You caught him, okay?! It's over!"

"As a guard, it's also my job to interrogate him." Hajime stated. "You inmates need to learn your place…"

Hajime punched Jyugo again, and again. Alloisia couldn't take it anymore. She ran at Hajime and grabbed his raised fist, trying to stop him from harming Jyugo anymore.

"STOP IT!" She screamed, tears clearly flooding her eyes. "YOU'RE HURTING HIM!"

"Let go, Alloisia. I won't hesitate to put you under my foot…" Threatened Hajime.

"AND I WON'T HESITATE TO THROW YOUR ASS OUT OF THIS STADIUM!" SHe screamed at him, her face contorted into anger. "LET HIM GO RIGHT NOW!"

"Or what?" Hajime growled at her.

"JUST STOP IT!" Alloisia begged him, trying to pull him back. "CAN'T YOU TELL HE'S UNCONSCIOUS NOW?! IF YOU DON'T STOP NOW YOU'LL END UP KILLING HIM!"

Hajime just stared at her, not moving a single inch. He then straightened up and the tossed Jyugo to the ground. Aloisia could only feel her heart ache at the sight of him.

"Jyugo…!" She exclaimed and practically fell to the ground next to him.

Alloisia hasn't been this distress for someone's safety for a long time. She placed her ear against his chest, trying to hear his heartbeat. Once she could and sensed his breathing she could only cry in relief. She found herself holding his head on her lap and she was bent over crying for him. Her hand stroked his hair, but only proceeded to add blood to it and made it sticky. She just couldn't understand why she was so emotional for this boy. She just couldn't understand it…

"The New Year's Tournament has reached it's conclusion…" Spoke the words from the Warden.

"Inmate captured…" Hajime muttered and walked past Alloisia.

Alloisia just kept crying softly, unable to stop the waterworks. She felt a sudden weight get tossed onto her, only to open her eyes and see pink. She lifted her head up to see Kenshirou standing there, only to realized he placed his pink haori onto her. She heard the sound of wood breaking and turned her head, seeing Hajime opening the sake barrel. She could only she her head at him in disappointment.

Medics rushed into the area faster than she had anticipated. Samon and Kiji had to pry her away from Jyugo as the medics began to care for him. She held onto Kenshirou's haori, wrapping it around herself as she realized just how indecent she looked. Samon and Kiji decided to lead her away and get her away from everybody.

The woman had no idea how much time had passed. They both brought her to the infirmary themselves, making sure her identity was still hidden from anyone other than the doctor and nurse. Alloisia's hands were wrapped up, there was a wrapping on her right cheek, and her back had a few scrapes here and there. The doctor examined her thoroughly, knowing quite well about her HSAN.

"You got pretty lucky." Stated the doctor. "Your hands were burned rather badly, but nothing that we can't fix. You're lucky your face, hair, and chest only had soot on it. Whatever you were wearing really protected you from those fires."

"Will she need any sort of medical care?" Kiji asked the older man.

"Well, she will need to take a few ibuprofens every now and then to keep that temp of hers down." Said the doctor. "Since she can't feel, her body temperature tends to rise a lot. The ibuprofen will keep her temperature stable, and will subside any possible pain she may have. Her hands will be have to stay wrapped for a while and rewrapped regularly. Possibly had the wrappings on her back change once in awhile. But with her health history, she'll be back to normal in no time."

"Thank you, doctor." Samon said and bowed to him in respect. "Will she be able to be on her feet and back to work any time soon?"

"I suggest she stays here for one night. See how she does in the morning…" Spoke the doctor. "Though, I have doubts she wouldn't be fine afterwards."

"Thank you, again." Samon said. He frowned and glanced at Alloisia. "I bet the Warden will want to talk to her the moment she's released…"

"I'll go see if anything has come up." Kiji said to Samon. "I have to go check on my Building, at any rate. Are you going to stay with her?"

"Someone has to." Samon said. "I know her better, so I'll stay here. I trust my guards that they'll keep everything in order in my building. If anything happens, contact me over the wakie."

"Alright." Kiji nodded to him before looking at Alloisia. "Poor thing… She looks so hollow… Do you believe she'll be alright? She really was concern for that inmate."

"She'll be fine. This happens a lot…" Samon said quietly. "It's like she ran out of batteries. Give her some time and she'll be back to normal in no time. She's always has a knack for caring for the inmates since she feels sympathetic for them. She was a prisoner too, so she understands that struggle. For someone who can't feel a damn thing, she has a pretty big heart…"

"That is true…" Kiji nodded.

The bird-themed man walked over to Alloisia. He talked to her for a moment before bidding goodbye. Once he left, taking Kenshirou's haori with him, Samon could only sigh at the events of today. He rubbed his head before walking back over to Alloisia. He took a seat in the chair next to her bed and examined her for a moment.

Alloisia just sat in the bed, her hands together in her lap, as she had a hollow stare. Her wavy hair was tied back behind her into a low ponytail, keeping it out of her face. She wore a blue gown since she was a patient. An IV was connected to her arm so she could gain the much needed fluids for her body. Her hands were entirely wrapped in bandages all the way to her wrist. She had a few bandages wrapped on her chest, but like the doctor said, it wasn't severe. She just looked… so broken…

"...Are you alright?" Samon asked her in concern. "Emotionally and mentally, I mean…"

She turned her head slightly towards him, only to look back at her lap. She didn't respond.

"...Come on, Nicci…" Samon sighed. "Don't shut me out. Talk to me…"

"...I'm sorry." She spoke softly. "...My emotions got the best of me out there… I could've… I could've gotten you guys hurt… I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault." Samon said and placed his hand over hers, causing her to look at him. "Don't apologize for having emotions. Only apologize when it's the thing that causes you to be blind, understand?"

Alloisia stared at him for a moment before nodding. Samon let go of her hand and looked to the ground in thought.

"...Am I…" Alloisia muttered, causing Samon to look at her again. She was shaking. "...Did I do good…? Or did I cause more harm…?"

"What do you mean?" Samon asked for clarification.

"Did I choose the right choice…?!" She asked, looking at him like she was completely lost. "D-did I do the right thing…?"

Samon was silent for a moment. "I'm not the one to decided that. That's your call to make."

Alloisia became quiet again. She turned her head and stared at her lap. She looked like a broken doll in Samon's eyes. The male could only sigh at her, knowing he couldn't fix any of the events that made her like this.

"What… What happened… to the inmates of cell 13…?" Alloisia asked him softly.

"They're back into their cells." Samon said. "They're fine thanks to your fast actions."

"And… Jyugo…?" She asked.

"...I wouldn't be able to tell you…" Samon muttered and looked to the ground.

Alloisia sighed through her nose, clearly looking like she was in pain. She leaned back, laying down in her bed. She closed her eyes as she was still so conflicted. As she thought of the inmates from Cell 13, the young woman ended up falling into a deep sleep.

.

.

.

.


	17. Chapter 17

"Any pain?"

"No…"

"Can you move your hands?"

"Yes…"

"Your recovery is as quick as always."

"Thank you, Doctor."

Alloisia bowed to the doctor is respect for all he's done. Samon had came in the next day and asked about her condition. After some final testing, the doctor let her go. Now out of the hospital gown, she was now wear just casual attire. A long purple sleeved shirt, light blue jeans, and black shoes. Her hair was released from it's hair tie, allowing her to be the role of her born gender.

But of course, she wasn't technically supposed to do that…

It's the whole reason why Samon had to come. The Warden wanted to talk to her. She knew all too well. It was actually making her nervous and anxious to go. Alloisia prepared herself for the deja vu of 'you're fired!' in big bold letters with a stamp on her head. It was the inevitable to be honest. She just wished it wasn't this way, or so soon.

"...I'm gonna be fired, huh?" Alloisia muttered to Samon, keeping pace with him.

"I… can't answer that…" Samon said quietly.

"Yep. I'm fired…" Alloisia said like it was a confirmed statement.

"Hey, it might not happen." Samon quickly intervene her negative thinking. "Maybe she will—"

"Samon." Alloisia cut him off, looking at him directly in the eye. "You know as well as anybody that my restrictions were as clear as daylight. No one must find out of my true gender. I must listen to the orders of my Supervisors at all times. My mask shall be worn 24/7, unless my Supervisors themselves take it off. Technically, I've broke each one of those rules once or twice already… She has every right to fire me."

Samon hummed softly, unable to counter her claim. He could only sigh and put his hand on her head and ruffle her hair.

"Have some faith, will ya?" Samon grumbled. "You always tell people to be happy. Take your own damn advice for once, damnit. Even if you're not in the same building with me, it's still better having you around than anything else…"

Alloisia just stared at Samon for a moment before smiling softly. "Good to know you haven't changed a bit either…"

"Is that a good or bad thing?" Samon asked, looking almost defended.

"Who's to say~"

"Oh, so _now_ you go back to normal!"

"Heheh…!"

After some friendly jabs here and there, the two found themselves not too far from the Warden's office. Samon lead her through the area and right to Head Quarters. Once they got to the room before the Warden's office, Alloisia spotted familiar faces. When she entered the room she noticed how it got really quiet. And she _hated_ it.

Samon noticed this almost instantly. He ushered her forwards to the much dreaded Warden's office. The Supervisor knocked on the door and waited for his call to be received. Hearing her voice, Samon opened the doors and gestured Alloisia forwards. Very reluctantly, Alloisia stepped forwards and walked in side until she was standing in front of the Warden's desk. She held her sharp gaze, dreading the conversation itself.

"Good morning, Agilulf. How is your body doing?" Asked the Warden, probably to get her relaxed and calm.

"I'm fine, ma'am…" Softly said Alloisia. "The doctor told me I can do normal things besides stay soaking in water. Other than that, I can do whatever…"

"That's good to hear." Said the Warden. Her gaze sharpen, as if that was even possible, showing that she was now serious. "...You understand exactly why you're here, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am…" Alloisia nodded.

"Let's go over it, shall we?" Spoke the Warden as she flipped open a file on her desk. "I gave you strict guidelines for you to follow. You were to do follow the orders of your Supervisors, not enter or access any high ranking areas, behave yourself as a good guard, wear the mask given to you 24/7 unless told so, and you were supposed to hide your gender from any and all inmates. You've broken about half of these rules within the few weeks of being here. Am I wrong?"

"No, ma'am…" Alloisia said honestly.

"I gave you those rules to follow and yet you broke them." Spoke the Warden with a bit of a growl at the end. "I would've just let this go, but in the end your identity as a female was revealed, especially to the inmates. That was our number one guideline that you had to follow. I understand that it was because of those burns and cuts, but you still got found out…"

Alloisia kept her head down, her lips pressed tightly together, as she couldn't deny the woman.

"I know it may seem unfair to you, but you must understand my position." Stated the Warden. "Not only is it my job to keep this prison safe and running, but I can't allow a woman working here as a guard. Maybe I can put you into a different job section, like the malls or even the lab research. But… I can't allow you to be a guard anymore…"

"...!" Alloisia body was very tense as her face contorted in pain, trying not to cry.

"Miss Warden, please, are you sure there's nothing we can do?!" Samon suddenly exclaimed, shocking both women. "Alloisia is a great kid. She works hard, she gets along with her coworkers, and the inmates even enjoy her. Hell, that chief at Building 13 had been asking about her yesterday in concern at the feast! You can't fire her!"

"Are you saying that with assertion, or are you saying that because your emotions?" Asked the Warden, her hard gaze causing Samon to falter for a moment.

"E-everyone knows how she's beneficial…" Samon said and was now standing next to Alloisia. "She was able to stop No.15 from going berserk. If Hajime hadn't beaten that kid half to death, Alloisia would've gotten the kid to calm down and stop his rampage! We shouldn't let her go just because of her gender!"

"So you want to have her stay and put her at a risk instead?" Harshly spoke the Warden before Samon could say anything else. He stopped, flinching at her tone. "There is a reason why we have Nanba, then the Nanba Women's Prison. We cannot risk Alloisia to be a guard here as a woman because any of the prisoners might lash out and assault her. I will not allow her to be placed on the line like that, and I know you wouldn't want that either. This is a _prison_ , not a playhouse. Alloisia will pack her things and will be taken back to America."

"T-then at least—"

"Samon, stop." Alloisia interrupted him, stopping him from causing more trouble. "You know better than anyone to question the Warden's actions. She's made her decision…"

"But where will you go?!" Samon asked her, his voice rising in anger. "You said it yourself that you don't have anywhere else to go!"

" _Samon_ ," Alloisia grabbed both of his shoulders and forced him to look her in the eye. She smiled at him and spoke calmly. "Calm down… It's sweet of you to try and allow me to stay, but we have to listen to the Warden. Her word is practically law here. I'm grateful for all of the wonderful things you've done for me, as well as everybody here. So, thank you for everything, and please just listen to the Warden…"

Samon stared at her for a moment, clearly hurt by this. His eyes darted all over her face, trying to find some sort of sign that she was just joking. But, as Alloisia is in these situations, it's clear she wasn't. He could only tilt his head down, trying not to look at her again. Alloisia could only try to stay together before turning to the Warden and bowed to her in thanks and respect.

"Thank you for everything, ma'am…" Alloisia said calmly, still holding a smile on her face. "I am grateful for the risk you took with me and allowed me to be here. Just… may I ask one thing?"

"What is it?" Momoko raised a brow at her as Alloisia stood up straight.

"It's about… Inmates No.15 and No.634…" Alloisia said softly. "After the interrogations once everything is clear up, please just… take care of them."

"What do you mea?" Asked the Warden, her eyebrows raising slightly in surprise.

"This is just what I understand from their conversations…" Alloisia said. "So, I may be wrong, or possibly right. But, from how I heard it, it's clear that those two know each other. Musashi, No.634, provoked Jyugo, No.15, in order to gain some sort of information. He wanted Jyugo to go into a rage and reveal himself as a 'monster' to everyone. I don't know why he did that… Why he so strongly focused on Jyugo. But, from what I heard through bits and pieces, the main reason is for those shackles on Jyugo's neck, wrists, and ankles. I think… I think that's how Jyugo's body could morph into blades…"

"The shackles, hm…?" The Warden leaned towards her and rested her lips against her hands. "Tell me, what else do you believe that happened?"

"Well…" Alloisia thought for a moment. "Jyugo is kind of tricky to read, but it's not hard for him to get along with someone. But… I never thought he had the capability to attack somebody. Clearly I heard Musashi spoke to him, and… Apparently, Jyugo took out Musashi's eyes with those blades. This was in the past when they were cellmates, though… There's that bit of a motive, but… I think he's more or less after Jyugo's shackles. I don't know why, but, he wants them… Thing is, I don't think it's for good. Sorry I can't be of much use…"

"I see…" Muttered the Warden. "Thank you for sharing that with me. Is there anything else you would like to say?"

"...Well, I never really did ask what I wanted…" Alloisia looked her dead in the eye. "Please allow me to talk with the inmates of Cell 13 before I go. I want to make sure they're alright… They have a right to know about my situation..."

"Why would you ask for that of all things?" Questioned the Warden. Even Samon looked curious.

"Those guys don't trust just anybody, you know." Alloisia said as if it was obvious. "I know they have questions, and I know they'll want answers… If you just kick me out of here without telling them a single thing, you'll never gain their trust ever again. They can help Jyugo with his problems—I know they can. He's just this troubled kid with this fucked up ability that we don't even know anything about. But, if you lose their trust, they won't ever tell a soul about the information they know. There's a reason why they're in Building 13… And I _know_ they trust me… But I need your own trust, Ms. Hyakushiki, to talk to them and explain everything to them… They need trust, and I can provide it…"

The Warden held her gaze, silence taking over the room. Alloisia was dead serious about it. It was clear from the expression she held. Samon could only stare at her in surprise at her sudden change in demeanor. ' _Her eyes… They've got sparks in them again… Did she already bond with those guys so soon?_ '

"You do realize the risk of what you're asking for, right?" The Warden asked her.

"Those boys wouldn't dare lay a finger on me." Alloisia stated, as if offended by what the Warden was getting at. "Plus, they know quite well that I can knock them out in a matter of seconds if I have to. Yes, they've done some fucked up things in the past, but they're still human. They're good kids. But of course, officers like yourself find that hard to believe, am I right…?"

"Alloisia, don't anger the Warden…!" Samon hissed at her.

The Warden and Alloisia had their eyes locked onto each other, neither of them faltering. After a long staring contest between the two, the Warden sighed loudly.

"...Fine." She said. "But if anything happens, you'll be responsible for it. But that won't change the fact that you have to leave by the end of today."

"I understand, ma'am." Alloisia nodded before bowing to her. "Thank you!"

"That'll be all…" Muttered the Warden before spinning around in her chair so the back was facing them. "You're officially fired from here on out, Alloisia Agilulf."

"...Yes, ma'am." Alloisia said softly.

The brunette turned around on the heels of her feet and rushed out of the room. Once she was out of the Warden's office she paid no attention to the Supervisors in the room. She ran out of the room, wanting to get to Building 13 as soon as possible. The Supervisors in the room could only sigh, believing she was in an emotional state and ran off. When Samon exited the Warden's office, they went to him for questions.

"It appears that she took the news harshly…" Muttered Kiji. "To be frank, I don't blame her in the slightest…"

"Yeah, but it's a little sad don't chya think?" Mitsuru spoke up in his usually loud voice. "She looked forward to this job, but she ended up getting fired for being a woman. I just find that unfair."

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Samon inquired, looking almost insulted at their words. "Alloisia understands perfectly well for why she was fired. Hell, she was prepared for it and had to calm me down. Plus, she was fired for breaking her guidelines and for becoming found out. You make it sound like she's a fragile human being who just lost her mom."

"But why did she run out of the room like she did?" Asked Kenshirou.

"She's going back to Building 13 and talking with the inmates in Cell 13." Samon stated with a sigh. "She convinced the Warden to let her talk to them. She wants to let them know of her circumstances and let them know about why it has to be this way. I can tell she's doing it because she doesn't want them to feel like she betrayed them or something… She's always been like that…"

"So she's not upset about being fired?" Asked Kiji, looking clearly surprised.

"Of course she's upset." Hajime spoke up, causing everyone to look at him. "She wanted nothing more than this job. Even I can see that. If she had a choice, she would probably stay here forever. She just trust those brats so damn much that she wants to give them a proper farewell, right?"

"Basically." Samon muttered, annoyed Hajime beat him to the point of explaining it. "But, speaking of Alloisia… She really hates your guts, Hajime."

"What? Why?" Hajime looked at him, almost as if he was surprised.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'WHY'?!" Samon shouted at him. "YOU BEAT NO.15 RIGHT OUT OF HER HANDS WHEN SHE CLEARLY HAD HIM UNDER CONTROL! IF SHE DIDN'T SCREAM AT YOU TO GET OFF OF HIM THEN YOU PROBABLY WOULD'VE KILLED THE KID! SHE'S FUCKING PISSED, BUT DOESN'T SHOW IT!"

Hajime felt his eye twitched, knowing quite well that he was going to get lectured like a child. ' _Oh brother…_ '

.

' _Cell 13, Cell 13…_ '

Alloisia was running all over the halls.

As soon as she got off of the monorails she ran through Building 13. She didn't want to waste another minute of not being able to talk to the guys. She strongly felt that they deserved to know everything that's happened. They did saw she was a woman after all. It only made sense to her. So, she proceeded running.

Weaving through the halls, she eventually made it to their cell. She was breathing softly through her mouth, trying to catch her breath as she stared at the sign. Cell 13. She could sense sudden nervousness in her stomach, but she knew this was right. Taking a step forwards, she knocked on the door and made sure her face could be seen through the bars.

"What? If it's Hajime then forge—" Uno stood up, only to abruptly stop at the sight of a woman standing at the bars.

"What is it?" Rock asked, causing him and Nico to look over and repeat the same actions as Uno.

"Ahem… Um…" Alloisia found herself picking at her helm of her shirt sleeves. "...Hey, guys… It's Alan… Could I come in…?"

"Y-y-yeah, s-s-sure, totally!" Exclaimed Uno as his face turned beat red.

Alloisia looked down the halls and made sure nobody was there. She then opened the door, since she had the keys still in her pockets, and entered the cell quickly. She closed it behind herself, not wanting to raise an alarm to Seitarou or Yamato. She backed away from the door before facing the group. They all just stared at her as if she was an alien species. It honestly didn't make her feel any better and gave her deja vu moments…

"Can we… sit down and talk…?" She asked.

Not even a second later did they accept. She had been startled by their sudden response, but had calmed down quickly. Knowing she was restricted onto a time limit, she wanted to make sure she answered any and all of their questions. They all sat at a table. The three boys sat on one side while she sat on the other, facing them as an uncomfortable silence took over. Alloisia knew they weren't used to woman but this was on a whole new level of awkwardness…

"Soooo…" Rock spoke up, but trailed off as soon as he did so.

"You're a…" Uno trailed off, his eyes darting everywhere but her.

"...A girl, right?" Nico finished the sentence.

"Yes, I am…" Alloisia answered.

"It's so weird to see you like this when we thought you were male…" Rock said honestly, scratching the back of his head. It actually caused her to smile slightly.

"I get that a lot…" She replied.

"So, we're you here?" Nico asked, smiling as brightly as ever. "Did you take time off or something?"

Alloisia's face darkened and she frowned. "About that… I came here because… Because you all deserve answers. And, I have to do that now because I got fired from my job…"

"What?" Rock questioned, his eyes shooting wide open.

"Wait, _you_ got fired?" Uno questioned, looking very shocked and possibly enraged.

"Let me explain, okay…?" She said softly, which appeared to calm everyone's nerves. Taking a deep breath, she spoke. "As you all know, I have a criminal record. I had gotten thrown in Nanba Prison at the age of 15. I was released after 3 years and have been scouring for jobs ever since. You can't gain money without work, after all. But, as all businesses would have it, they wanted nothing to do with me. Eventually I got a few jobs and began making money, but… it wasn't enough. I became desperate, so I sent a request specifically to the Warden."

"A request?" Questioned Nico.

"Yeah, for a job here…" Alloisia said and continued. "She read my request and my resume and brought me here. After a lot of talking, she eventually gave me the job. But, on very strict conditions. I had to wear that black mask unless the Supervisors took it off of me, since the mask would only react to their finger prints. If the mask was harmed in the slightest, as if I were to try and take it off, the hooks around my ears would pierce right through my ears as punishment. I was restricted into high ranking areas and I couldn't go anywhere without the Supervisor knowing. On top of it all, I had to disguise myself as a man instead of a woman if I wanted to become a guard here…"

"But, why go through so many lengths to be a guard of all things?" Rock asked.

"I was desperate…" Alloisia admitted. "After I got out of prison I had to living with my family until I figured out what to do with myself. I was giving online classes to finish my education because I was thrown into prison for so long… I tried looking for jobs so I could live on my own, but everyone turned me down. Nobody wanted to associate themselves with a criminal. That's just how the world goes…"

"But why did you dress up as a male guard?" Nico asked. "Couldn't you have stayed as a woman, though?"

"Absolutely not." Aloisia shook her head at him. "If any of the male inmates found out, I would have been in major trouble. You have to understand, hardly any of these inmates have seen a woman for _years_. To have one in the prison as a guard, a person who interacts with them everyday, they wouldn't hesitate to go after me… Whether it be for sexual or violent purposes, it was just too risky… So, the Warden instructed me to be a male inmate."

"Hold on just a second!" Uno exclaimed, looking very puzzled. "You said you were an inmate in Nanba Prison for three years, right? How the hell did you stay as a prisoner if you were a woman this entire time?"

"Well, the guards didn't even know I was a woman at first…" Alloisia said and scratched the side of her cheek in an embarrassed manner. "Because of my body structure at the time, they just assumed I was male. They had no idea I was female until I was requested for a physical examine by the doctor a week after I was put there. That was when they found out…"

"How the hell did they mistake a woman for a man?" Rock asked, almost looking pissed.

"Well…" Alloisia stared at her lap and uncomfortably shifted in place. "...I crossdressed as one all the time. I… even took a few hormone pills to try and change my gender…"

"Wait… What." Uno murmured.

The three could only stare at her in bewilderment. Alloisia sighed, not really wanting to explain that part of her history, but knew that she had to. ' _I'm already this deep into it, so what the hell._ '

"Ever since I was born… I was different." Alloisia stated. "Being diagnosed with HSAN and all, it was hard. Pills were a regular thing at home, and nobody really liked me. It's ironic how so many people in prisons enjoy me, but never the outside world, eh? Hehe… Kind of pathetic. Anyway, getting back on track, remember that dark point I kept telling you guys about? How I kept mentioning it?"

The three nodded their heads in unison.

"Well… Part of that dark point was that I never liked myself…" Alloisia admitted in a heavy manner. "I had a lot of mental and emotional pain, unable to make friends and had to rely on my family… But my family wasn't enough… I began sneaking out of the house frequently and did some bad things… One of them involved me taking so hormone pills off of the street. I always had this grudge against myself for being a female I always hated the restrictions girls had compared to men. So, the more older and I got, the more of a man I wanted to be. If I could take back those moments, take back the pills and the running away, I would…"

"Why? What happened?" Nico asked innocently.

"I was an idiotic fool for trusting pills off of the street." Alloisia stated bluntly, clearly annoyed with herself as she told the story. "I was so stuck on wanting to be a man that I ended up fucking myself over. As strange as it sounds, I'm grateful for being thrown into Nanba Prison… They got me help when everybody thought I was hopeless in saving. The Doctor here helped give me the proper pills to regain my femininity and help me out of that dark state I was constantly in. Samon, the Supervisor of Building 5, was a big help in that, and I'm forever grateful for him… All the guards kept my gender a secret to everybody else, and hardly any inmates knew. Those who did kept quiet for my safety."

"Wow, never thought prison guards could be so civil…" Grumbled Uno.

"Not all of them are bad…" Alloisia smiled at him. "It's just how you hold your perspective to them… But, I'm not hear the lecture about that… Anymore questions you guys have?"

"I do! I do!" Nico said and raised his hand in the air. "How come you're so strong?"

"That's… honestly something we don't know…" Alloisia admitted. "I'm just freakishly strong. In the end my family and doctors just believed it was because of my inability to feel pain, causing myself to not really know how to control my anger. But, my father knew how to teach me, so he did his best to teach me how to hold back and all."

"Alright, now I've got a question." Uno spoke up and pointed at her. "If you wanted to be a male so bad, wouldn't it be easier to chop all of that hair off?"

"Well I want it to grow out." Alloisia said and touched her head. "I need it to grow longer than twelve inches so I can donate it."

"Donate?" They all tilted their head in question.

"Yeah, I've always donated my hair." Alloisia said and smiled. "My family and I do it all the time. We grow our hair out, put it in a ponytail or braid, and then we chop it off. I try to donate as much as I possibly can for other people. But, you're hair can't be dyed or bleached. That's a definite 'no' for donating."

"That's so cool! Are you going to donate it soon?" Nico asked.

"Mm-hm." Alloisia nodded. "I just need it to grow another inch and I can chop it all off… I even did it when I was here in the prison. You should've seen the Warden's face when I asked her to do it. She couldn't even fathom why a prisoner of all people would want to donate hair, hehehe…!"

"Guess that makes sense…" Rock said. "By the way, is your name really Alan? I mean, being a girl and all…"

"No, it's not." Alloisia shook her head. "I went by Al since it's closer to my original name when I was at the prison, but I gave the Warden Alan for an appropriate alias. But my last name was kept since I didn't want to change it. Plus, if there was prisoners still here that knew me, I wanted them to realize it was me, just like I had with Shiro! My real name is Alloisia."

"That's kinda weird to pronounce…" Muttered Uno.

"And Uno's any better?" Alloisia raised a brow at him while smiling in amusement.

"S-shut up…!" Uno stuttered as his face immediately grew red.

"I like Alloisia better than Alan." Nico said and smiled at her. "It sounds nice! By the way, how many siblings do you have?"

"Three. I'm the oldest." Alloisia answered. "Two brothers, both twins, and one sister. They still live with my family."

"If I do my math right… Does that mean you're 20?" Uno asked.

"Yes." Alloisia nodded.

"You're older than me…!" Exclaimed Uno, somehow looking heartbroken and shocked.

"Of course I'm older than you. Technically, I'm not legally to be allowed to become a guard…" Alloisia said softly. "You have to be at least 21, but the Warden let that slide. I'm actually surprised she didn't use that against me, too…"

"Wait, if you're leaving today that means…" Rock looked down at the table in a sad manner. "You can't even say goodbye to Jyugo…"

The light atmosphere quickly became heavy. Everyone was looking down now, clearly feeling the heaviness of concern for Jyugo. Alloisia was as stiff as ever, clearly upset by that fact. He was right. She couldn't even say goodbye to Jyugo…

"Do you… Do you know if he's alright…?" Uno asked her after gulping down the lump in his throat.

"...I wish I did…" Alloisia replied softly, her eyes becoming hollow again. "Being the rank that I am, or… was… I have no authorization in knowing. All I really know is that he's in critical condition and being kept in the underground cells… But, of course, no visitors are allowed… Not even I can get down there…"

"So, there's nothing we can do for him, huh…?" Nico asked quietly.

"No… No, there is…" Aloisia said firmly and gazed up at the three. "My deadline is today. I have to collect my belongings and go back to America. But, you three will be here for him. I need you to do me this big favor. Jyugo may or may not come back to Cell 13 because of the actions he had taken at the Tournament. Either way, I know you guys can get through to him. He's not some monster that we have to hide from. He's just a troubled kid who needs all the help he can get… And I know you three are the help he deserves… Can I trust you? To watch out for him, and keep him in line from using those weapons like he did?..."

"Do you even need to ask that?" Uno said and began smirking. "We know Jyugo better than anybody. Yeah, even we don't know much about him, but like you said. He's just a snot-nosed, bratty kid who needs all the help he can get. You just leave him to us, 'kay?"

Alloisia stared at him for a moment before smiling at him. ' _I knew I can rely on you guys… I know you can help him. I just know it…_ '

"But… do you really have to go…?" Nico asked softly, still looking upset.

"Yes, I do…" Alloisia said and smiled sadly at the table. "The Warden's words are basically law here. My deadline is the end of today. But, I know I need to be quicker than that. I… really should get going… before anybody else gets in trouble…"

"Grrr…" Uno fumed in his seat before slamming his fist on the table. "It's not fair! If anybody should be fired it should be that damn demon Hajime! Why does it gotta be you…!? If anything you were the only one saving Jyugo's ass! What the hell!"

"I know…" Alloisia said, her tone cold and dark. This caused the boys to be silent and listen. "I know it's unfair. I want nothing more than to stay here. I want to joke around, tell deep stories, rile the Supervisors up into fighting with me and just goofing around. But… that's not how it is…"

"Aren't you mad, though?" Rock asked her.

"Of course I am…!" She said shakily, her bangs covering her eyes. "I'm sad that I have to leave… I'm sad I can't tell Jyugo the things he should hear and hopefully make him understand… I'm angry at the Warden for not letting me stay because I am a woman. I'm angry that people don't understand that many people here are just misunderstood and need help. But… most of all…" Her voice got deeper as her fist were tightly clenched, actually straining the bandages on her hands. "...I'm _pissed_ at Hajime Sugoroku for practically putting Jyugo on his deathbed… Heartless bastard…"

Alloisia practically sat there, fuming in her seat as her own body was shaking with rage. It actually caused the three before her to break out into a nervous sweat. But, they all could empathize with her, knowing exactly how she feels in different amounts. Just as fast as she had gotten angry, Alloisia took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She relaxed and looked at the three with a hollow gaze.

"...I have to get going…" She said softly. "My ride to America is a long one… I have to contact my family and all. I'm sorry I couldn't talk more to you all. None of you deserve this shit…"

"It's not your fault." Rock said calmly. "As harsh as it is, we understand where you're coming from."

"Yeah, thanks for visiting us!" Nico said cheerfully. "We're really glad that you got to tell us your story!"

"And… Could you try and visit us sometime…?" Uno requested in almost a quiet manner. "We ain't leavin' this place anytime soon, so… yeah…"

"I wouldn't mind visiting…" Alloisia smiled warmly at them. She stood up slowly and bowed to them. "I thank you for listening." She straightened. "...I put all of my faith in you. Tell Jyugo I'm sorry I couldn't talk to him properly before going… I wanted to speak to him one more time before going…"

"Yeah, we'll tell him…" Uno nodded to her.

"Thank you…" She said softly and turned towards the door. She stopped and looked at them again. "Just remember this for me, okay? Nobody's born evil; it's all in the perspective of the person who sees what's wrong or right. Everybody deserves a second chance… Even a bunch of hopeless misfits like us. You all take care, okay?"

"You take care yourself." Uno said and waved to her.

"Hit the best restaurant for me." Rock said and waved.

"Bye-bye, Alloisia!" Nico exclaimed and waved frantically.

Alloisia giggled at them and waved lightly. "Goodbye…"

Opening the door, she stepped out of the cell and closed it behind her. She walked a few paces away before slapping her hands over her mouth, stopping to lean against the wall. Tears overflowed again and ran down her face and through her hands. She tried hard to stop it, or to at least muffle any type of sound from coming out. She had no idea why such an amount of tears were flowing from her eyes so quickly in such large amounts.

She just didn't understand…

...But at the same time, she did.

.

.

.

.


	18. Chapter 18

"Here, this was all I could find…"

"Thank you, Seitarou."

"Do you need help carrying anything?"

"Thank you, but no thank you, Yamato."

The two men could only watch as Alloisia packed a very small cardboard box. It was mostly of clothes, but there was a few items like photos or even a pin. She even packed the mask she was restricted in for memory purposes. She made sure to be constantly aware of it and keep it hidden from others just for safety precautions. She placed the last item in before putting the lid over the box. She turned to the two men and bowed to them in respect.

"Thank you again for everything. I am grateful for your compassion." She said.

"There's no need for that!" Seitarou said and had her straighten up. "We were just doing our jobs and being ourselves, after all. Even if you acted as a guy, you were still yourself through and through. It was nice having you around…"

"Mm…" Alloisia averted her eyes for a moment, trying not to be sad anymore.

"You could always have a different job here, you know." Yamato informed her. "I'm sure if you talked with the Warden she would allow for your stay!"

"It's a nice thought, but it wouldn't be what I wanted…" Alloisia said softly. "I want to talk to the guards, the workers, and the inmates. I want to get to know them all and connect with them. But… this isn't some sort of playground, after all. It's a Prison, and that's what it should be…"

"Maybe you could visit sometime?" Seitarou suggested. "I'm sure plenty of inmates and guards wouldn't mind that."

"True…" Alloisia nodded and smiled. ' _But it would cost me a fortune to travel to Japan…_ '

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Yamato asked her in clear concern. "We could always give you some money on hand if you need it."

"No, no! I couldn't!" Alloisia rapidly waved her hands and shook her head. "Please, don't! Keep your money and save it. I'm covered from the paycheck from this week. I'll get by…"

"Take care, okay?" Seitarou said. "I'm sure you'll find a job soon. With your personality and determination, anybody's bound to hire you!"

' _You forget the fact of my criminal record…_ ' Thought Alloisia silently.

"Train hard! You'll need those muscles in top shape to be ready for anything!" Yamato said and began flexing his own arms to emphasize his point.

Alloisia let out an honest laugh and smiled at the two. "Thank you, again. I'm seriously grateful for your hospitality here…"

"You're always welcomed to visit." Seitarou said before leaning in and whispering to her. "Even though it's against protocol, I'll let you in and visit the inmates in their cells if you want."

"S-seriously…?" She looked at him in shock. "You would really do that…?"

"Of course! You may have been an inmate in the past, but you will always be one of us!" Exclaimed Yamato with a cheerful laugh. "Nothing can change that, ha ha ha!"

"Guys…" Alloisia covered her face with her hands. "You guys are making me want to cry…!"

"A-ah, please don't! Did we say something offensive…!?" Seitarou panicked.

"N-no, no!" Aloisia sniffled loudly and recollected herself. "I'm just… really thankful, is all…"

"Take care of yourself now!" Yamato said and lifted her box to her. "We'll be waiting to see you again soon, I hope!"

"I-I'll try..." Alloisia smiled and took the box from him. "I can't thank you enough…"

"It was nothing, seriously." Seitarou said and waved his hand. "Have a safe trip back home, okay?"

Alloisia nodded curtly to him, still smiling warmly. "Goodbye…"

"Goodbye, Ms. Agilulf!" Saluted Yamato.

"Good luck!" Waved Seitarou.

Alloisia waved softly at them before turning and exiting into the hall. She closed the door behind her and sighed heavily. It's just been an emotional two days, that's for sure. Pushing herself off of the door, she stared at the boxes in her hands and sighed again. It was really hard to let this place go considering she had plenty of good and bad memories here. But, she was grateful for them all.

Taking in a deep breath, she pushed herself off of the door and began walking down the hallway. She stood tall and had her chest slightly puffed out, trying to remain confident and strong. Even though it was a short time being a guard, she was happy for every minute she had of it.

Thinking through the memories, she couldn't help but giggle at the fun ones. She remembered when Kuu the Guard Cat had accidentally walked against Seitarou's leg and scared him so bad he fell out of his chair. Or when Yamato had bursted into the room and demanded group workouts, causing Seitarou and her to run away and hide from him until Hajime came. Or when Jyugo snuck out of his cell again and she witness him draw on Hajime's sleeping face, but had said nothing and acted like she hadn't witnessed it.

' _It was fun while it lasted…_ ' She told herself as her smile returned onto her lips.

As she turned the corner, she could feel her own breath catch in her throat. Standing very far away, walking in the opposite directing she was going it, was the definite figure of Hajime Sugoroku. Alloisia kept herself calm and ignored her burning anger. Even though she was still very angry with him, it was pointless to keep the grudge against him.

' _You are literally leaving the place… Hajime still has his own job to attend to…_ ' She kept telling herself. ' _It is literally pointless to dodge, talk, or try to harm him. You've caused enough trouble for this prison as it is. Just be civil for once… He did give you a lot of breaks from the mask than the other Supervisors might've done. I should be at least grateful for that…_ '

Walking through that hall felt like eternity. When Hajime got close, about to walk by her, she nodded to him as a way of her farewell. Just as she past him, she suddenly felt arms around her waist and lift her in the air. The sudden, startling movement caused her to drop her box of belongs and release a yelp of surprise.

' _ **THE HELL—?!**_ '

"You're coming with me, brat." Hajime growled into her ear, causing Alloisia to tense up.

"W-what're you—" She didn't even finish her sentence as she didn't hesitate to struggle against him. "LET ME GO, YOU BASTARD!"

Hajime managed to restrict her arms, holding her tightly as his hand clamped over her mouth to muffle her screaming. Alloisia began panicking, having no idea what Hajime wanted with her. She tried fighting against him, but to her shock, Hajime didn't budge in the slightest. If anything she just kind of threw him off balance a little, but of course he managed to get by without falling or faltering his grip on her.

Alloisia was doing whatever she could to run away from him. Screaming, kicking, moving her body in any way she could to make him let go. She even bite his hand hard, drawing blood for good measures. This man was like inhuman steel. It actually made her question if he himself has HSAN or he has a huge pain tolerance for not even reacting her her hard chomp on his hand.

Building 13's Supervisor dragged her away into some sort of room. As soon as they were in and the door closed, he practically threw her onto the ground. Her body slammed against the hard floor, but of course she didn't feel any pain. She clawed her way onto her feet and stood up, backing away from Hajime until her lower back hit a table against the wall. She faced him, soft growls escaping her mouth as she spit onto the ground, watching as her spit was mixed in with his blood.

"...You're blood's disgusting." She stated, glaring harshly at him.

"Yeah, well, you're paying for any bones you broke in my hand." He said coldly, showing her his blood stained glove.

"Over my dead body…" She growled at him. "Are you going to beat me to death just like you did to Jyugo? Bet you got a real good kick outta that, huh?"

"Don't make me regret bringing you here." Hajime growled back at her. "I brought you here for a reason. Don't make me change my mind about it."

"So you're solution was to grab me and drag me here without talkin' to me first?!" She shouted at him. "What the FUCK?!"

"You should really wash that mouth of yours." Stated a familiar voice.

"Wha…?"

Alloisia looked to the side to see Samon leaning against the wall on her left, arms crossed and everything. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Why was he here?

"You would actually look cute with that curious face if you didn't have blood dripping from your mouth." Said another familiar voice.

"Did you really have to manhandle her to bring her here, Hajime?" Asked another familiarly annoying voice.

"It was the fastest way." Hajime shrugged, clearly anything but sympathetic.

Aloisia looked at the other walls to see Kiji and Kenshirou there. She looked at them all in confusion, her breath still heavy from her panic attack from earlier. She took in a deep breath before releasing a heavy sigh, her eyes darting between the four men.

"Okay…" She muttered in clearly confusion. "Why the hell are we all here?"

"We had to catch you before you could even step out of Building 13." Kiji said and stepped closer to her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a white rag and handed it to her. "Clean your face, dear. You look like a cannibal… And a brush would be nice, too."

" _Thanks…_ " She grumbled and took the rag, making sure her sarcasm was quite clear.

"Look, before you get even more pissed and try to bash our skulls in, let me explain everything." Samon said and stepped closer towards her.

"You better tell me everything or I'll show you just how flexible a human body can be." Alloisia threatened, clearly not in the mood for this anymore.

"You'll be grateful for why you're here instead of that helicopter." Kenshirou said, eyeing her sharply.

Alloisia made another confused expression, clearly not understanding what he meant. Samon sighed loudly and rolled his eyes, already looking annoyed enough as it is. Alloisia began to wipe her mouth as Samon talked.

"Listen, okay?" Samon spoke up, now standing next to her. "After you ran out of the Warden's office, we couldn't just let you walk away from here. We talked and us four agreed that you shouldn't get fired. You deserve this job more than anybody, even if you didn't do any training like we did and shit…"

Alloisia's eyes began widening slowly, listening to everybody talk.

"You're a remarkable person, really." Complement Kiji. "Yes, you tend to piss us off more than anybody, but you never mean for any harm. You're still young and figuring things out in your life, but you're much sharper than any normal human."

"You're skills are quite useful for us." Kenshirou spoke up. "Yes, you're a selfish brat who has this ridiculous amount of care for people, but there are benefits from your way of things. The inmates tend to bond with you almost instantly, having a large amount of trust in you compared to anybody else. If we could gain those skills by using you, we might be able to gain more trust in our inmates than ever before."

"But… why…?" Alloisia questioned. "The Warden's words are practically law here. Why don't you guys let go…?"

"Because you're an annoying, shitty brat that you made us care about." Harshly spoke Hajime, like usual. "Look kid, you know the basic concept of the world better than anybody. But, you have this strong belief of showing people kindness and getting them to trust you. Ever since your three years in this prison, we all noticed the drastic change in demeanor of all the prisoners here. As stupid as it sounds, you have a gift."

"What we're trying to get at here is that you're important, okay?" Samon said in a fast manner, showing his annoyance towards Hajime. "You're a good kid who had hit a dark path, alright? But you grew up and got out of that path. The day you left this prison was like a phenomenon! Grown men were crying after you left. Grown fucking men who have done worse shit than you _ever_ had. Your ability to bond with people is incredible, okay? And we all agree that the Warden isn't seeing that."

"You even bonded with us without our realizations." Smiled Kiji. "You're a clever little girl who is able to sympathize with anybody you meet. Your morals somehow affect whoever you speak to, you know. It's like you give people a piece of yourself to connect to them. It's nothing like we've ever seen before!"

"Plus, your HSAN is a hassle, but your strength is quite a strong suit of yours." Kenshirou stated. "Your greatest talents are your own flaws. You're emotional, even though you feel nothing. Your strength is enough to kill yourself, but you never die. Your speech causes chaos, yet you can calm the most chaotic person. As much as I side with the Warden often, I don't believe her word for you to be gone is right…"

"Wow. You even got this guy emotional." Hajime said and pointed at Kenshirou, clearly urking him. "That's a talent in itself in getting him to say the Warden was wrong."

"H-h-hold on for a moment…!" Alloisia exclaimed, looking utterly shocked and in disbelief. "L-let's think about this logically, o-okay…?! Look. I broke almost everyone of my guidelines. Hajime, you know for a fact that I broke them. Hell, I got my gender found out when that was my number ticket out of the place! I have every reason to be fired…!"

"No you don't." Hajime shook his head. "You never touched a single document or went into a room of a high status. You always listened to what I told you, even at the tournament. You jumped into that fight between those inmates because you knew they were going to kill each other, or someone else entirely. _I_ took your mask off whenever you were in the office because that was our deal. Just because you're a woman doesn't mean shit when it comes to this job, because you proved perfectly well that you can take down anybody if you wanted. There is _no_ reason for you to be fire."

"B-but…" Alloisia could find any words to counter him.

"Look, Alloisia…" Samon grabbed her shoulder, causing her to look at him. "You know perfectly well that we hardly agree on a damn thing. But we all agree that you need to stay in this prison as a guard. We _need_ your talents."

"N-no… No, you don't…!" Alloisia denied and shook her head.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Kiji scoffed. "I think we gave you perfectly good reasons why you should stay."

"L-look, you _all_ know I'm a hot mess, okay…?" Alloisia spoke frantically, trying to counter their claims. "I'm just some… _brat_ that can barely feel shit and knows how to act because that's all I ever do, okay?! I _act_! Okay?! Hell, I don't even know what's even true anymore! You don't _want_ me…!"

Samon fumed at her words. Without even hesitating her punched her right in the jaw, knocking her to the ground. The three Supervisors stood in shock, never imagining that _Samon Gokuu_ would punch _Alloisia Agilulf_ of all people! Alloisia held her cheek and gazed at Samon in such disbelief and shock that not even her could fathom what to do.

"You did _NOT_ just say that." Samon growled at her, baring his teeth at her as he yelled. "Do you even realize what the hell you're fucking saying? 'Can't feel'? 'Acts all the time'? Because I know that ain't FUCKING TRUE! I know you better than anybody here, and you gave me this same type of shit five years ago, alright? What did I say to you back then, because I _KNOW_ you remember. WHAT DID I SAY?!"

"...'N-no one is inable of feeling anything… It just matters on who acknowledges them or not'..." Alloisia spoke softly as tears were welling up in her eyes. "Y-you told m-me… 'Anybody can feel anything. It just takes time…' You t-told me to grow up, a-and figure it out… B-because no emotionless person would jump infront of a sword to save someone else's life…"

"And you grew up, didn't you?" Samon yelled at her. "You grew up and figured it out. I know you did, because anybody who knows you can figure you out like a book. So don't you fucking dare give me that acting shit, because I know that isn't true! You might not be able to 'feel things,' but _I_ know you have the biggest _fucking_ heart in this entire fucking country. What did you promise me the day you were released from your sentence here?"

"That I wouldn't go back that path again…" She whispered quietly, but it was loud enough to hear.

"Get your ass and say it again." Samon ordered. "Stand up!"

Alloisia slowly got to her feet and Samon stood right in her face, continuing to shout at her. She just stood there, staring at him, sensing the raw emotions he was screaming at her.

"SAY IT AGAIN!" Samon shouted in her face. "SAY IT ONE MORE GODDAMN TIME!"

"I-I won't go down that path again…" She whispered, her voice shaking with clear emotion.

"AGAIN!" Samon shouted one last time.

"I'M NOT GOING DOWN THAT PATH!" She shouted back in his face.

"GOOD!" He yelled. He took a step back, keeping eye contact, and dialed his voice down until it was soft. "...You've already hit hell. Climb your ass out of that damn depression and prove to me that you're not going down that road again…"

Alloisia nodded her head, her lip quivering violently. She was clearly trying not to cry, her face contorted into a wide mix of emotions. Alloisia tilted her head down and rubbed her eyes roughly with the sleeves of her shirt, trying to push back the tears that just won't stop coming back.

"...And I thought Hajime was harsh…" Murmured Kiji. "Samon was the last person I would think who would explode like that…"

"To think he had it in him…" Muttered Hajime.

"Do you abuse your inmates like this all the time…?" Questioned Kenshioru.

"S-SHUT UP!" Samon shouted at them, looking very flustered. "YOU BASTARDS DON'T KNOW SHIT! Grrrrrr…..!"

Alloisia released a laugh, which sounded a lot like a sob. The four looked at her, watching her cover her eyes as she was widely smiling, soft laughs escaping her lips. Her body was shaking she they were pretty sure she was crying (again).

"T-thank you…!" She whispered, her voice cracking at the very end. "Thank y-ou…!"

"Now, now, no need to cry, my dear!" Kiji immediately went up to her and cupped her cheeks, trying to wiper her tears away. "You should thank us later once we get your job back. Now, we still have to discuss what we have to do, so please hang in there a little long, okay?"

Alloisia gulped down the lump in her throat and nodded to him, trying to wipe away her tears and make them stop. "I haven't cried this much since I found out I'll be having a sister…"

"Now that that's out of the way…" Kenshirou murmured before speaking up. "Alloisia, stay in this room until we come back, understand? The four of us will speak with the Warden herself. It will take a while, but you need to trust us and stay here. She might send guard out to find you and physically take you off of the island, understand."

Alloisia nodded, not trusting her voice.

"I'll get Yamato and Seitarou on this, too." Hajime spoke up. "Someone's gotta warn ya if guards are hunting for you."

"Sounds like my first week here in prison…" Alloisia said and smiled lightly.

"Oooh, don't even speak of that!" Kiji squawked while stomping his foot. "You made me have to restock in my makeup! Do you have any idea how much money it cost for those cases?!"

"That was fire years ago, get over it!" Samon exclaimed. "We've got to get the Warden's office and confront her about that. I doubt Misturu is doing a good enough job of keeping her distracted from us leaving all of a sudden."

"Let's go, then." Kenshirou said and turned to the door. He stopped and gazed at Alloisia over his shoulder. "Stay put."

Alloisia just nodded.

Each Supervisor filed out of the door one by one. Samon was the last to leave and he stood by the doorway. He looked over his shoulder at her, showing her just how much concern he held for her.

"If you feel like you're in danger, run for it." He instructed her. "Do whatever you gotta do to not let those guards grab you. You're best at causing trouble either way, so I'm sure you'll get by if it ever happens…"

Alloisia smiled at him and laughed softly. "...Thank you, Samon… But if you slap me like that ever again I won't hesitate to beat your ass."

Samon raised his hands up in surrender, knowing quite well she could hurt him if she wanted to. Alloisia wiped her serious face away and just smiled, giving him a confident nod. Samon nodded back to her and left the room, closing the door behind him. As the silence took over, Alloisia could only wondered what she had just heard and witness. She rubbed her face and groaned into her hands.

"This is officially my life now… God damnit, Samon..."

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	19. Chapter 19

"Do you really believe this'll work…?"

"We've got to try! If we fail here than Nicci will be sent back to America!"

"You may want to calm those emotions of yours down. They might just ruin our chances of helping her…"

"All we have to do it talk, right? Shouldn't be too hard."

"Of course _you_ of all people would say _that…_ "

The four Supervisors of Nanba Prison were making their way to the Warden's office as fast as possible. According to what Kenshirou said, the helicopter to take Alloisia away was already here. They had to act fast, otherwise she'll be sent back home without a chance of staying. As weird as it was for all four to agree on something, especially a human being who was a past inmate, they all can see a type of use for her abilities.

Even though this act might demote them, or even get the _fired_ , they were still determined to do it. Well, mostly Samon. Practically everyone could see his growing fire of wanting to convince the Warden, and everyone knew why. He was an open book, basically.

Knowing Mitsuru was inside of the Warden's office, the four went right on it without knocking. The entered just in time to see a red-face Warden with her fist up, ready to pulverize Mitsuru, only to stop at the sounds of the doors. The sight of her murderous intent was enough to make all of them shiver. The Warden Momoko stared at them for a moment before dropping Mitsuru onto the ground without a second thought.

"...It's rather unusual to see you four barging into my office at once." Calmly spoke the Warden as she sat back down in her chair to recollect herself. "Is something the matter that needs _all_ of you four here…?"

"Yes, ma'am, there is…" Samon dared to spoke up, but it was clear he was nervous.

Mitsuru, now back onto his feet, patted Hajime's shoulder and snickered loudly. "Good luck, brothaa!"

The dark skinned man walked out of the office cackling, making Hajime want to smash his skull in. Once he disappeared, they all focused their attention onto the Warden.

"It's about Alloisia Agilulf." Spoke Kiji. "We would like to talk about her to you?"

"Agilulf…?" Momoko's eye twitched at the name as she raised a brow at them. "If she caused some sort of trouble, don't worry about it. Her helicopter is already here to take her back home. There's no need for any sort of complaints…"

"We're not here to complain about her." Hajime stated rather bluntly, catching the Warden off guard. "We're here to make her _stay_."

"Stay…?" Momoko clearly looked confused, surprise by their statements. "You want that criminal to stay here? She doesn't belong in Nanba Prison."

"Please hear us out, Ms Warden, before you make any final decisions." Kiji spoke up, trying to keep the conversation calm and civil. "We all have our reasons for being here. Please hear us out."

The Warden stared at them with her sharp gaze before sighing softly. "Fine. You may proceed…"

"I'll go first." Kenshirou said and stepped forwards. "After much debating, many of us Supervisors have agreed that we think it's best for Alloisia to stay. Looking at her capabilities, flaws and strengths, we all strongly believe that we can benefit from having her around."

"We all have our own experiences with her, and some aren't that great," spoke Kiji. "But, that woman is something special… We all can see that, despite our different opinions about her."

"If you saw her in action first hand, I can assure you that you would change your mind, ma'am." Samon spoke up, trying hard to keep his voice calm and not show emotion. "Alloisia is…"

"Not supposed to be here." The Warden stated harshly, shocking the group. "I understand that Agilulf has the ability to connect to people. I know that. It's the whole reason that I allowed her to be a guard in the first place. But, we agreed her gender be kept a secret, and that didn't even last longer that three weeks. She got found out. And yes, I know it was from the attacks from both inmates No.15 and No.634. Because of that incident, I cannot allow her to stay in this Prison anymore."

"May we ask why, ma'am?" Kiji asked, wanting to know her reasons.

"It's pretty obvious why." Momoko stated bluntly. "She's a criminal. She was even our past inmate No.7 of Nanba Prison. Not only that, but I gave her strict guidelines for her to follow if she wanted to be a guard. Agilulf broke almost all of them. She agreed to it, too. And, as for her to be a female, I cannot allow her to stay as a guard. There are too many risk of her getting injured or assaulted and I will not stand for it! I will not risk her own well being just because she's 'nice' to have around… You all are here, acting on your own emotions instead of reason. I will not allow such childish reasons to go against my own…"

"Now hold it right there." Hajime spoke up, agitation clear in his voice, and shocking everyone by his blunt rudeness. "I was the one in charge of her this entire time. And I can assure you, ma'am, that she didn't break any of her guidelines. She never touched any official documents, or went into high ranking areas. She always came for my permission to go somewhere, and that would usually either be the bathroom or the cafeteria. For the mask, I'm to blame for that. I took her mask off whenever she was in the office and told her to put it back on if she was to ever leave it. And she can't be blamed for being born a female. She did her best to stay hidden and did a damn well job of it. I take full blame for her and her actions. I'm already suspended for three days as it is. If it means getting her ass back here and staying, then I'll willingly will have it longer."

Momoko stared at Hajime in utter shock. Hajime had always been one to keep his tone in a respectful manner towards the Warden, always to try and never offend her. So for him to go ahead and allow himself to curse right in front of her, talking directly at her, was utterly shocking. She couldn't help but feel angry and possibly… jealousy?

"She is a _criminal_." Momoko stated, clearly trying not to show her anger. "We don't know if she might turn on us the moment she doesn't like something. How do we know she won't turn on us, or even the inmates? She is not to be trusted, and that's that!" Momoko stood from her seat, glaring at each individual. "Alloisia Nicci Agilulf is fired from being a guard and will never be allowed to visit the island ever again. That is _my_ orders…"

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"Now, where did they hide her, hm…?"

As the argument went on ahead, Mitsuru went off to go find Alloisia. He himself knew that arguing with the Warden was basically hopeless. But, if he were to get Alloisia in there and make some good promises to her, it might just be enough to cause the Warden to falter. Now _that_ , he knew well enough.

Knowing precisely where the young woman should be, he went straight for that area as fast as possible. He was the one to point the room out to Hajime, after all. He just hoped that she didn't scatter because of guards or something. He didn't want to abuse anymore power than he already had, but he won't hesitate to do it if he must. Seeing the four men actually become fired up about getting her to stay was the most amusing thing Mitsuru saw in years. He couldn't let this pass up!

When he got near the room he checked on his phone for the cameras. He had already shut them off before, but he had to make sure they were off. He didn't want any mistakes to be made, after all. Knowing the halls were empty from both sides, he knocked against the door and listened for movement inside.

"Helloooo~" Mitsuru opened the door and stepped right on in. "Anybody hooooome~?"

Gazing around the dark room, it appeared to be empty. ' _Uh-oh…_ '

"Oh Alloisiaaaaa?" He sang, looking left and right. "C'mon, girl! I can't have you hidin' in here all day, you know."

There was no sort of response. Mitsuru was beginning to doubt himself.

"...Seriously, kid, c'mon out." He said, trying to show he was serious now. "Look, I'm on your side, okay? None of the cameras in the area are on, and it's not like we're on a manhunt for you. Look, I know those four well, but I know the Warden even better. She's going to do whatever she can to keep her say strong, okay? They need you, kid. I know you can give a strong enough offer to convince her of keepin' you here. But that'll be impossible if you stay hidden like a vampire, okay?"

He gazed around the place carefully, hoping to find some sort of movement inside. It was then he heard a soft shuffle. Looking past the door and to the very right corner came out Alloisia slowly. Mitsuru smirked widely.

"Wow, never thought that would work for a hiding place." Mitsuru commented before laughing. "You really did hide like a vampire! Ahahaha!"

"Did you come for laughs, or was is it something worth wasting time about?" Alloisia asked, not wanting to get caught in casual chat with Mitsuru. His mouth could yap for hours if allowed…

"You'll be grateful I came to grab you." Mitsuru said and became serious again. "Look, kid. I know Ms. Hyakushiki better than anybody. And I know she'll get riled up just because Hajime is in the room. She's going to try everything to keep you out of this prison, okay? Maybe even pull rank. But, seeing how those four got fired up, they won't hesitate to cause a war on this. You need to get in there and prove to her that you can be trusted and hired. You have your own way with words. If you can convince her of causing even the slightest of doubt, we'll do the rest to chip her down."

"But, everyone told me to stay here…" Alloisia muttered.

"I know, but you know them pretty well yourself." Mitsuru said, giving her a look. "Do you honestly believe that the Warden will give them a chance to win against her fairly…?"

Alloisia's lips turned into a flat line as she looked possibly angry. "...No. No she won't. But I don't get why she would act like that. Especially when you mentioned Hajime. Why would he be the one to rile her up?"

"Who's to say?" Mitsuru chuckled and shrugged, clearly knowing. "You're the observant one. Shouldn't you have figured it out already?"

"But, what…" Alloisia stopped as she thought for a moment. Her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. "No…! She… what!?"

"That was fast." Commented Mitsuru with a cackle. He then grabbed Alloisia's wrist and began tugging her along. "C'mon, kid. We don't got a lot of time, you know. Let's go save your job! Whooo!"

.

"She has every right to be here just as much as us!"

"She's a well admesary and is sharply minded. Please, think about this for a moment, your Warden…!"

"That girl will not remain here any longer! That's final!"

"But we can benefit from having her around! Please think about this properly, madame!"

The four Supervisors were all hotly arguing against the Warden, everyone on their feet and clearly fuming with different emotions. The Warden was staying stubborn and strong, but the four kept throwing facts at her barrier, trying to get through. It was clear that this argument was possibly getting out of hand already…

"Please think about this for one second, ma'am! Please!" Samon said and began listing everything he knew about Alloisia. "This kid is amazing, okay? She's sharp and clever, which is what caused her to be transferred into every building around. She knows how to act the part when given and she can damn well do it properly. Her strength can even rival Hajime's, and that's saying something! And what's even more amazing than that is the fact that she can get anybody to trust her! That's something hardly any of us can do, especially since we're the guards!"

"She is a criminal and should have never came here!" Yelled the Warden. "How do you know she won't turn against us and cause trouble just like she did in the past?!"

"Because I was the one to help her!" Samon exclaimed. " _I_ got her out of that shit hole she was in! _I_ got her back on the right path! Why? Because that was _my job_ , and I care about that kid more than my _own life!_ "

"See? This is what I meant!" Exclaimed the Warden. "Your emotions are all out of whack! None of you can even see straight…"

"We can see perfectly fine, Ms Warden," Hajime stated as he tried not to growl. "Are you sure you're not the one with your emotions out of whack? Because you aren't even listening to what we're trying to tell you!"

"Agilulf is somebody we want as one of our guards…!" Kenshirou spoke up, his tone being a lot calmer than anybody else's. "That girl has gotten us to crack multiple cases with over half of the inmates when she was in prison herself. She gathered intel all because she knew of the right things to say. If she can do that again, then we mind even be able to figure out this mystery with No.634 and No.25!"

"You want her to go underground?! Where all of the rapist and convicts are?!" Exclaimed the Warden. "She'll get tare to shreds the moment she steps down there! She only got away with it back then because of those hormone pills she was taking to change her gender! But she's still a woman! I will not risk her own safety by her staying!"

"Oh, please!" Kiji interjected, clearly being fired up himself. "Did you see how she fought against those two rogue inmates in the tournament? Or even when she fought Samon?! She can handle herself just fine! Hell, we all know she was holding back that entire time! She can do much worse damage if she wanted, and we all know that! Her being a woman is a pathetic excuse for her to not stay here, _miss_!"

"Plus, she isn't a criminal anymore!" Samon fired at the Warden. "You said it yourself, she's a civilian now! Stop calling her a criminal when she has served her sentence _two years ago_!"

"That still doesn't wipe her record clean, and I know about her terrifying strength!" Shouted the Warden. "Her HSAN is a problem and we all know it! She got her own hands burnt when she fought No.634 and she kept fighting! She almost got killed by No.15 because she ' _cares'_ about him! I know there's one thing to care about your inmates, but she makes it sound like they're her own children! Which they are _not_! They are criminal who have been put into Nanba Prison for a damn good reason!"

"That's why so many people trust her!" Hajime exclaimed. "The reason they get so attached to her is because she cares for them! Because she talks and listens to them! Remember the day she left this shity place? Even our worse prisoners were sobbing because she was gone! Hell, even Shiro, the chief from my Building, is glad to have her back in the prison!"

"I don't care if she makes them feel better! This is a _PRISON_!" Shouted the Warden. "It's suppose to be a shithole for everyone around! It's suppose to teach these scum that this is what happens when you break the law! Not reward them!"

"Do you even realize all of the things that Alloisia has done here?!" Samon exclaimed. "Not only did she figure out some cases for us, but she had also stopped people from killing themselves! She stopped a man from committing suicide! And that man was one of _my guards_! How many people do you know can say that, huh? She has stopped people from creating riots in the buildings! Hell, three of my own inmates that trust me have told me they're glad to have her back because she had went out of her way to help them when nobody else wanted to! The week she got out of prison, I gained a letter from her, telling me she donated a bunch of her hair and blood. What criminal goes ahead and does that?!"

"We need her as an ally!" Interjected Kenshirou. "There are prisoners we have now that will refuse to talk and give us their full trust. If we have Alloisia, she can gain us all of those things, and maybe even more!"

"And what happens if she gets hurt, huh? What happens then?" Growled the Warden. "She is still a woman, and will get targeted by everybody who finds out! You all are saying that you're doing this for her, well—news flash—so am I! She was the first ever female prisoner to be placed in a prison full of men, and refused to go anywhere else. Everyday she was here I just waited for a report of her being assaulted. I waited for it, dreading it, because in any prison around the world, anything can happen. I will not have her stay here and relive that dreadful wait for a call or report that she was rape. I will _not_ have that!"

"It never happened back then and it won't happen now!" Samon said. "When it comes to putting her foot down about her body, she'll break the ground when it comes to it! Even with her working here she has always been surrounded by guards. There was never a time she wasn't safe with our care. Hell, Mitsuru had been using the cameras to keep an eye on her just for safe keeping! Alloisia _needs_ to stay here as a guard!"

"Why? Because of your pathetic excuse for feelings?!" Yelled the Warden. "I don't care if she made you or others feel great because she ' _cared'_. We don't know a single thing about what she's thinking. For all we know, this entire thing could've been an act! She doesn't care about you or anybody here, and that included everyone here!"

"You're wrong…" Spoke up a voice.

Surprised by the sudden sound, everyone turned their heads at the door. Standing there was a fuming Alloisia herself with Mitsuru standing behind her. The darker skinned man could only sigh and scratch his head at what they had heard.

"That's pretty cold for even you to say, Miss Hyakushiki." Mitsuru said. "Not, I don't interact with this kid a lot, but I'll say for certain that you're absolutely wrong when it comes to this kid."

"What… What is she doing here?" Questioned the Warden as she began to look angry.

"Mitsuru thought it was best I came here… And I am damn well glad he did." Alloisia said and marched right towards the Warden without even a hint of being scared. "You don't know a damn thing about me, _Miss Warden_. If you did, then you would understand that I care more about anybody in this damn building compared to anybody else! I care about everybody here! The guards, the prisoners, the workers—I care for them all. My HSAN stops me from physically feeling object and temperature—not my feelings! I know myself better than anybody here, and sometimes, I just need a reminder of that. We all do sometimes… I respect you a lot, ma'am, and I know your job is stressful, but don't you _EVER_ tell me that I don't care, because you don't know _shit_ about _me_!"

"What did you just say?" Growled the Warden as she looked ready to kill.

"I said you're wrong." Alloisia stated coldly, mirroring her harsh glare. "...I heard most of the argument. Not all of it, but most… I'm grateful that you allowed me back into this place and even gave me a job, but you aren't being fair here. I'm not telling you to give me my job back, but you're not listening to them! You have very good points as well in this argument, and I'm glad that you care enough for my own safety, but you're just provoking them into giving you a reason to kick them out! You're not listening to what they have to say! You're hearing, but you just don't want to give in and say you're wrong!"

"She's got ya there." Mitsuru smirked and walked more into the room. "Listen, Ms. Hyakushiki. Nobody wants Alloisia gone. Hell, she even managed to calm down a raging No.15. Lots of people trust her, and that in itself should be enough to make her stay. Give her another chance."

"But…!" The Warden looked prepared to fight, but not words came from her mouth.

"This girl is someone you want as one of your guards." Mitsuru said and put his hand on Alloisia's head. "Heck, she even manage to surprise you when she came in here! I doubt there's ever going to be another time where these four all agree on something without argument, okay? Even I think this is something you should do."

"All we're asking is to give Alloisia another chance…!" Samon said, sounding very much calmer than before.

Momoko stood there in silence. She looked at each of their faces to see their serious expressions. It was clear that each one of them felt strongly about this decision. With a sigh, Momoko tilted her head down as she felt a smile suddenly pull on her lips.

"I see now…" She said calmly. "Guess I really was just blind with emotions…"

The Warden suddenly turned and went back to her desk. She sat down in her chair and wore a serious expression.

"As much as I don't want to admit it… I may have been wrong." Spoke the Warden, which honestly surprised Alloisia. "Like Mitsuru said, it's very rare for the four of you to agree on something, much less willingly argue against me about it. That's rather daring for you all… And, you all gave strong points."

"So, does that mean…?" Kiji trailed off.

"Alloisia Nicci Agilulf." The Warden spoke sternly, eyeing her sharply. "You have your job back. If you're so convincing as these five say you are, then I trust that you'll convince the inmates who saw you as a female to keep quiet about it. I only ask you keep dressing as a male because there are many prisoners here who won't hesitate to harm you if they discovered your true gender. You will still have to follow the guidelines I had given you and act like this whole event never happened. You will still be working in Building 13 under Hajime's orders… But now… He does have _three days of suspension_ , after all…"

As if those words were a spell, Hajime hanged his head and paled. Alloisia was surprised by his sudden change of behavior so quickly. She never he would look so kicked down… It was almost pitiful.

"As for the rest of you…" The Warden sharply glared at them. "You all get double the usual workload than usual for one week. That goes for you as well, Hajime. But only when you get back to work. Think of it as punishment for rudely talking towards your superior as you have and barging in without my consent…"

"Y-yes, ma'am…" Sulked the group except for Alloisia.

"Alloisia…" The girl's head perked up and stared at the Warden, signalling she was listening. "...You had confidence that you can help inmate No.15. Do you still have that confidence?"

"Yes, ma'am." Alloisia nodded her head. "I strongly believe if I was given a chance that I can convince him of behaving. He trusts me enough for me to get close to him. If I can just talk to him personally, then I can show him that what he did was wrong. I know with a bit of help, I can put him onto the right track. All I need is time…"

"Hm…" The Warden seemed to ponder for a moment. "...After he wakes up from his coma and is properly interrogated, then you may talk to him again. I'll count on you to make sure that he doesn't use those blades against anybody, especially his fellow inmates."

Alloisia's face fell slightly, but it wasn't a bad deal. "...Yes, ma'am."

"Now get out of my office." The Warden ordered and turned her chair to them. "We can't have the Buildings left unattended forever…"

"Thank you, ma'am!" Alloisia exclaimed suddenly, being slightly too loud.

The Warden simply waved her hand, telling her to get out. Alloisia felt her body shaking as she walked out of the office. Once everyone was out did she officially freak out and began jumping up and down in joy. She turned towards the Supervisors and immediately hugged Samon who didn't even denied it.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She chanted merrily.

"I knew we could do it…!" Samon exclaimed, just as happy as she is.

"Are you sure you two aren't cut from the same cloth?" Kiji chuckled, who was smiling himself.

"Y-you guys…" Alloisia let go of Samon and looked at them all, looking ready to cry again. "T-thank you…! Thank you so much…!"

"Aw, there's there waterworks!" Mitsuru laughed and held his arms out to give her a hug. "Nobody likes a pretty lady crying! Wipe those tears, girly. You're back to bein' a guard!"

"I-I'm just h-happy is a-all…!" She stuttered after hugging him tightly.

"Well, you should go freshen up." Kiji said, taking a white cloth from his jacket and wiping her cheeks with it. "You have a job to do, after all. Don't go slacking off as soon as you gained it."

"R-right…" Alloisia wiped her eyes smiling. "But, Kiji… How many of those clothes do you have? Do you always carry that many with you…?"

"Of course I do! I always come prepared…" Kiji said and waved the white cloth at her. "Imagine if my makeup where to start running. I have to stop it from making myself look like a hot mess!"

"You're always a hot mess." Hajime stated bluntly.

"You can never simply be nice, now can you?" Kiji scoffed at him.

Alloisia laughed at their interactions. She gaved Kiji and hug and thanked him. Kiji justed awed at her and squeezed her tightly, which actually almost stopped her from breathing. Once out of his death grip she went towards Kenshirou, staring up at him without a word. He just stared back, unsure of why she was directly in front of him. She held her arms out like a child, causing him to sigh deeply.

"Are you really 20?" He questioned, but allowed her to hug him nonetheless.

"You know you love it…!" She whispered in a joking manner.

"That's enjoy, down now." Kenshirou said and got her off of him.

"You still give people dog commands? That's weird, man…" Samon commented to him.

Alloisia now stood in front of Hajime, basically having the same situation with Kenshirou. But instead of putting her arms out she just held her fist up to him. Hajime sighed in relief and just bumped her fist. But before he could pull his wrist away she grabbed onto it and glared harshly at him.

"I know you're going to be interrogating Jyugo after your suspension." She said in a soft, cold manner. "But if I find out that you hurt him in the slightest, I will beat you so harshly that I'll be thrown back into prison…"

"Yeah… Got it…" Hajime muttered. She released him hand, but still looked irritated.

"You really angered me and upset me, but…" She sighed softly. "I'm grateful that you help defend me. Thank you…"

"Yeah, well, go thank Samon." Hajime muttered. "Without his constant ranting of 'it's unfair!' then it never would've happened. It was like he was a 5 year old…"

"You wanna fight, you bastard?!" Samon growled and shook his fist at him.

"Samon." Alloisia voice chimed, causing Samon to immediately look to her. She was smiling cheerfully. "Thank you for everything… You never ever give up on me. I'm grateful for it…"

"Yeah, well…" Samon scratched the back of his head in an embarrassed manner. "I would feel bad if you went back to America without any sort of roof over your head…"

"Yeah, I bet you'd be sobbing." Hajime said to Samon.

"You really are trying to fight me, aren't you?!" Samon shouted at him.

"Not in front of the Warden's office…!" Allioisia exclaimed, holding Samon back. "We all sort of made it onto her shit list today so we all need to lay off any sort of trouble for a while, okay…!?"

"She does have a point you know." Mitsuru said.

"Yes… She is most definitely angry with us…" Kiji agreed.

Kenshirou had his head down as if he was a scolded puppy, not saying a word.

"Fine…" Samon groaned and got out of Alloisia's grip. He then slapped her back, causing her to stumble forwards. "Get going. You have a job to do, brat."

Alloisia grinned widely, looking like a child on Christmas day. She loudly thanked all of them again before running out of the room as fast as possible. The five men could only sigh and watch her go. For someone who says she can't feel anything, she sure is beaming more than any person they've ever seen before.

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	20. Chapter 20

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I feel exhausted…"

"Well, you have had a rough three days, after all."

"I guess…"

Alloisia smiled at the ceiling as she was leaning back in her chair. Yesterday, after getting her job back, she ran so fast to Building 13 that she almost broke down the office door by accident. Telling Yamato and Seitarou everything, they ended up hugging and congratulating her. Yamato even offered to take her drinking, since she was the legal age in Japan, but she politely declined.

In the end, them along with a few Supervisors (Samon and Kiji of course) offered her dinner. She was pleasantly surprised with how it went. They weren't bad at all to be around, but Yamato's loudness from partially getting drunk could've been avoided. But, she had fun. After telling the two about her job and everything, she immediately went to the guys in Cell 13.

She barged right in, startling all of them, and announcing the news. Needless to say, she was tackled to the group with hugs. Nico tackled her while Rock and Uno pried him off since they didn't really want anybody touching her. But with her loud laughing, they couldn't bring themselves to it. She gave them all a hug as they cheered with her. Needless to say, Uno was a bright red, flirting cherry. It was funny to watch Rock telling Uno to knock it off while Nico practically clung to her waist like a child.

It was actually a nice ended for the day. But, it wasn't fun going back and collecting her dropped belongings. Alloisia made sure to tell the boys to constantly refer to her as 'Alan' or just 'Al' whenever she was in her guard uniform. She still had guidelines, after all. But that didn't matter as long as she had her job.

"So," Alloisia spun her chair towards Seitarou to face him. "One of the other Supervisors will be coming to the Building to watch over it, right?"

"Yes, that's correct." Seitarou nodded. "Today begins Hajime's suspension, so marking today off, he'll be back in two more days or so."

"Mm…" Alloisia hummed. She still held a bit of a grudge against Hajime but, she couldn't quite hate him. "I wonder who it'll be…"

"WHAAAAAAAAT?!" A shrill cry came from outside.

"Huh? What was _that_?" Seitarou stared at the door in surprise.

"I'll check it out." Alloisia said and stood up.

Grabbing her mask she attached it to her face and exited the room. She went to the source of the shouts, knowing quite well that it came from Cell 13. It was hard to not detect their voices, really. Popping her head into the room, she saw Kenshirou standing in their cell. ' _Oooh, so he's the Supervisor for today… Damn it…_ '

"SIA!" Shouted Nico.

"Huh?" Kenshirou looked bewildered as Nico ran past him and to the door where Alloisia stood.

"Uh…!" Alloisia was surprised by his sudden actions, watching him cling to her waist while giggling wildly. "Nico, I told you to refer to me as Alan…"

"But Sia is a lot cuter!" Argued Nico. "Don't you agree?"

"I'm a guard, I'm not supposed to be cute." Alloisia stated while sweatdropping at him.

"They really do cling to you…" Kenshirou murmured. "Like a mother…"

"I've had three younger siblings and helped raise them." Alloisia said, trying to not be annoyed by what Kenshirou said. "Of course I act this way, it's like a second nature. I'm only 20 years old and I'm already being called a mom, ugh..."

"It's kinda hard for you to deny it when Nico's clinging to you like that." Uno said.

"Yeah, how come you don't pry him off?" Asked Rock.

"I… don't have the heart to…" She murmured. "He reminds me too much of my youngest sibling… I'd feel bad…"

' _She really is a mom…_ ' Thought the two inmates and guard.

"Anyways, what're you doing here?" Kenshirou asked her. "Don't you have paperwork to do?"

"I already got done half of it." Alloisia said calmly. "Plus, I heard the guys scream and came to investigate. Turns out it was just you, so yeah…"

"I feel like I should be insulted…" Kenshirou murmured. "Well, since I have you here, you might as well help me."

"Hm…?" Alloisia tilted her head, showing she was listening.

"Right here it says that No.25 has an appointment with the doctors today for his medication." Stated Kenshirou, showing her the paper. "Since he's literally attached to your hip, could you take him down?"

"Stop saying stuff that refers to me as a mom." She said in clear irritation.

"Yo, Al, take us with you!" Uno said with a raised hand.

"Yeah, we haven't done it in a while." Rock added.

"You two will stay here." Kenshirou instructed, glaring at them sharply. "Only No.25 has a doctor's appointment. If you have medical troubles you can schedule your own!"

"What? It's not like we're gonna do anything!" Exclaimed Uno.

"Plus, we've done this before. It isn't anything unusual." Rock said.

"They're my emotional support group!" Nico said, still clinging to Alloisia's waist.

"Can you let go now, Nico...?" Alloisia asked him. "You're kinda making it hard to stand…"

Kenshirou seemed to ponder about letting them stay or go. Personally, Alloisia didn't want them coming. It happened one time and she got so angry with them in the end that she gave them all good whacks to the head. Needless to say, they hadn't requested to go since they knew her as Alan.

"Just stay here." She sighed. "It'll be easier for me that way. Plus, I rather not find a sign on my back that says 'Butt kisser' in all capital letters… I'm lookin' at you, Uno. Don't even try denyin' it."

The long haired male looked shock, but didn't even try fighting her about it. Alloisia patted Nico's head, causing him to look up at her in curiousity.

"Come on, let's go get your medicine." She said.

"Okay!" Nico said, finally releasing her, and merrily skipped away.

Alloisia could only sigh and followed him out of the door. He acted just like her younger sister Eva, if not exactly like her. Even though he was sometimes a handful, she couldn't help but smile.

Carefully, Alloisia lead Nico to the doctor's office. The way there was practically severed into brain from all the times she got hurt herself. As they walked, Nico engaged her into some small talk. At first it was light hearted, talking about shows and whatnot. But the next question Nico asked caused Alloisia to frown deeply.

"Hey, is Jyugo okay…?" Nico had asked.

"...I wouldn't know." Alloisia answered honestly. "I'm unauthorized to go down there and speak with him unless I'm granted that permission. And, I won't be able to do that until Hajime comes back… All I really know is that he's still in a bit of a coma. They're keeping him away from people—isolating him… He's not in the infirmary, but instead a special one… People can't visit him, so that's out of the question…"

"Sia…" Nico spoke softly. Alloisia hummed, showing she was listening. "...What's going to happen to Jyugo…?"

"...I don't know…" Alloisia said softly. "As hard as it is, we're going to have to put our faith in Hajime…" Alloisia crossed her arms. "But, I know that the Warden is allowing me a chance to talk to him. She wants me to rehabilitate him, in a sense. If I can get him to trust me, I can get him out of that shitty place…"

"So you'll help him?" Nico asked, trying to summarize what she said.

"Yes, of course." She said and smiled at him, not like he could see. "I'll do everything in my power to make sure he's safe, okay? It's my job as a guard, after all." She ruffled his hair lightly. "I care about you guys. I want to help you all in anyway I can. I'll tell you everything I know, in hopes that one day, you'll eventually do the same in return…"

Nico tilted his head up, staring at her in slight confusion. He's not much for catching onto hidden meanings and such, but he did feel like there was a second meaning behind her words. Like she was referring to something. It was kind of off… But before he could ask, they had already made it to the infirmary. Alloisia knocked on the door before entering, Nico following close behind her.

"Excuse me, Dr. Otogi, it's Agilulf." Alloisia spoke up. "I came here to bring Nico from Cell `3, Building `3, to you for his daily checkups."

"Fine…" Sighed the elderly man. "I'll be with him in a moment or two…"

Alloisia's eye shifted towards the other figures in the room. They were two familiar boys that had fought against Building 13 in the Tournament. Those two would be Honey and Trois. She was curious as to why they were here, but didn't question it.

"Hey, you're those pretty boys who lost to Uno in the Tournament, huh?" Nico said loudly.

' _Of course he would point that out…_ ' Alloisia felt her eye twitch. ' _Sometimes I really do wonder if he's actually 16… Then again, I know men who are even more childish than that, but they have excuses… Still irritating, though…'_

"Quiet, you…!" Snapped the one known as Honey.

"Why're you guys here?" Nico asked, all threatening intent going past his head.

"The injuries we sustain from Hyakunin isshu haven't been healing well." Said Trois as he and Honey gazed at their fingers.

"How can you get injured from that…?" Alloisia raised a brow, bewildered by his claim.

"It's pretty bad. Take a look." He said and held a magnifying glass to them.

Alloisia took it and held it close to his finger. She and Nico tried observing the supposed injury, but even she was having difficulty finding it. Nico pointed it out and Alloisia could only feel her eye twitch in annoyance.

"How many millimeters long do you think that is?" Nico questioned.

"They'll need to create an even tinier measurement in order to tell." Alloisia sarcastically said and put the magnifying glass down. "Some injury that it. There's no need to even be here with itty bitty cuts like that."

"We know, but Kiji insisted we come here." Honey said after sighing.

"Let me guess…" Alloisia adjusted her voice so she could mock Kiji's voice. " 'Upupupu! We wouldn't want your precious skin to scar now, would we? Upupupu!' Some shitty reason like that, right?"

"You nailed it…!" Honey said, shaking and both inmates tried not to laugh.

"That was remarkably similar…!" Trois said, trying hard not to laugh himself.

"When it comes to mimicking, I'm one hell of a guard." Alloisia said and winked at Nico, causing him to silently gasp and grin. She looked to the two inmates and began to take off her white gloves. "Let me show you guys what real wounds look like. Nico, go do your check up, okay?"

"Okay!" He nodded and went to Dr. Otogi.

Taking off her gloves and rolling up her sleeves, she revealed her scarred up arms. The two inmates gaped at her, even touching her skin to feel how rough and scarred it was. It was clear they were disturbed, but also fascinated by it.

"I always thought scars would be rough," said Trois.

"The rest of your skin is rough, but when following the scars they're actually soft." Honey pointed out.

"How did you get so many?" Questioned Trois.

"Eh, not really sure." Alloisia shrugged and pulled her arms away and began to fix her sleeves and gloves. "Some from fights, others from getting in the way of things, and the rest are just little accidents I stumbled into."

"How are all those 'little accidents'?" Questioned Honey, finding her casual behavior about it odd.

"You're talking to an Agilulf, don't question it." Stated Dr. Otogi as he had been hearing the entire conversation. "He's got a genetic disease called HSAN, or hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy. It's a sort of disease that interferes with his nerves from allowing him to feel anything. If you were to give him an ice cube or a burning coal to hold, he wouldn't be able to tell you the difference. He's unable to feel a single thing in his body."

"Really? I've heard of it, but I never really knew what to make of it." Trois said, clearly surprised.

"Yeah, it's pretty uncommon." Alloisia said and shrugged. "I get into accidents a lot, a lot of times finding strange cuts or bruises from bumping into things without realizing it. I was a real hassle for Dr. Otogi when I first got here."

"And you still are." Scoffed the old man as he was examining Nico carefully. "You're just as freakish as this kid here."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Alloisia asked, crossing her arms and she didn't enjoy the words he used.

"What, you don't know?" He questioned her. "This kid is affected by those around him. He can mimic anybody despite any and all factors. But, it's nothing to be proud of. Being as weak as he is and all, it's a miracle he isn't dead. You know how deadly qigong is. The medicine he takes prevents him from doing that. But, the idiot didn't take it on the day of the tournament. He would've been in solitary confinement, but he refuses, so he was sent to Building 13 on the condition he takes his medication everyday."

"Hehe… Yeah, sorry about that." Apologized Nico in an embarrassed manner.

"I see." Said Trois. "So that's how he was able to fight so well…"

"Remind me not to get on his bad side…" Said Honey.

"I promise to take them next time. So, can I have my medication today, please?" Asked Nico towards the Doctor.

"Jeez…" Sighed the old man before he turned his head to an opened door. "Hey, Kaguya, can you bring in No.25's medicine?"

"Yes, doctor." Spoke a robotic voice.

With a few whirls of gears and a bit of metal clinking, out of the room stood a woman with a tray, holding a bag on top. Well, not a human woman. Kaguya was machine, created by the Doctor and Scientist of Nanba Prison. She looked as pink and shiny as always to Alloisia… And, as always, the men flocked to her like magnets.

"I've brought the requested medicine." Spoke the android.

"Woo-hoo! Thank you always, Kaguya!" Exclaimed Nico as he went for his medicine. "What's today's flavor?"

"Today's flavor is 'cheap candies.'" Replied the robot.

"Yay!" Cheered Nico. "Can I rest my head on your lap again, Kaguya?"

"If you'd lend me your hand, I would kiss it." Honey said as he was down on one knee in a bow.

"Would you care to join us for some tea this afternoon?" Asked Trois, smirking flirtatiously at her. "And so we can match, I must ask… What color panties do you plan to wear?"

"We must also require in the type of fashion, and percentage of lace used in it." Added Honey.

"WHAT TYPE OF PERVERTS ARE YOU?!" Shouted Alloisia, baffled that someone would even as a _**WOMAN**_ about her _**UNDERGARMENTS**_.

"You stay away from my daughter or I'll dissect all of you!" Threatened the Doctor, causing the three to scurry away from him.

"Nico, promise me you'll stay away from those two." Alloisia spoke very seriously to him, holding onto each on of his shoulders.

"Um, okay." Nico innocently nodded, unsure of why she seemed so protective.

"C'mon, we're goin'." Alloisia said and picked Nico up, holding him like a child. "Thank you Dr. Otogi for your service. We'll be going now…!"

"Hold it, you. How have been the burns on your hands?" The Dr. Otogi interrogated her.

"No pain, swelling, or any of the above." Alloisia stated quickly. "If anything happens you'll be the first to be informed. Now, if you'll excuse me—goodbye!"

The woman in disguise quickly got out of the infirmary, still holding onto Nico, making her way back to his cell. She could only imagine a vein on her forehead throbbing in irritation. Usually she was one to be okay with hearing something perverted once in awhile, but asking a woman about her underwear for a date just isn't one of them! As she silently imagined beating the two inmate's heads in, Nico was tossing his medication into his mouth as if it was candy. After a while of walking, she placed him back onto his own two feet as she could sense her hands throbbing. She really had to be wary of hat from now on...

"Hey, Sia?" Nico spoke up.

"Hn…?" She hummed out, trying to calm herself down.

"Dr. Otogi said you got some burns on your hands. Is that why they're all bandaged up?" Nico asked.

"Yeah, it is…" Alloisia nodded. "I bet if I had the proper nerves I would be feeling pain, but a you know, I don't."

"I can't imagine what it would be like to grow up without feeling pain…" Nico said, causing Alloisia to become quiet. "...What was it like, Sia?"

"...That's a question for another day, okay?" Alloisia said softly. "I'm not too comfortable with talking about that…"

"Oh, okay. Sorry." Nico said.

"No need to apologize." She said. A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes as she looked at him. "Hey… when we get back to the cell, want to distract Uno for me while I fill up a bucket of water to dump on him?"

"Totally!" Nico exclaimed.

Alloisia laughed and high fived him. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder and ruffled his hair as they walked, laughing together as they schemed. Alloisia couldn't help but relate Nico to her sister Eva, but she knew he was still a lot different than her. If anything, he would probably be the closest one of the four in his cell to relate to her. She couldn't help but think of him as another little brother.

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	21. Chapter 21

"Here you go, Kuu."

"Mroow~"

Alloisia fed Kuu his lunch. Since Hajime was gone, she took it upon herself to feed Kuu the cat. He had taken a liking to her since Hajime had left. She was rather pleased when he stroked against her leg for attention, or laid in her lap while she sat at her desk. No matter what, animals had always had a liking to her compared to humans. It was a mutual feeling she held when growing up, but that was understandable. She was wise about it now and has finally found an ability to respect people now.

Just as she stood up from feeding Kuu, the door to the office swung open by a crying Seitarou. She held her arms out and watched as Seitarou fell into them, clinging to her like a lost child. Honestly, she was used to it at this point.

"Why is everybody so mean to me!?" Sobbed the older man.

"Hey, what's wrong, Seitarou?" She asked calmly.

"I-I went, to go check on Cell 13," sniffed Seitarou through gasps of breaths, "and I-I found Building T-Three's S-S-Supervisor there. A-and, and, AND THEY YELLED AT ME! I only asked if there was a-anything they needed was all…!"

"Again…?" Alloisia sighed and stroked Seitarou's hair, knowing to just let him sob it out. "Just sit down and I'll go talk to them, okay? I have some gum in my pocket. Want some?"

"S-sure… Thank you, A-Alan…" Stuttered Seitarou as she gave him a piece of gum.

"Stay here, okay?" She said kindly before exiting the room.

Once out of there, she marched towards Cell 13 and began rolling her sleeves up. She entered, seeing Kiji arguing with Uno. Just catching a small amount of the argument was enough to set her off. She sharply looked at Rock and Nico, seeing them stiffen under her cold gaze.

"Did you two yell at Seitarou?" She asked as Uno and Kiji didn't even notice her here.

"Nope. It was them." Nico said and ratted out Uno and Kiji.

"We're innocent about it this time, we swear." Rock said, also pointing at Kiji and Uno.

"Thank you." She turned away from the two.

Not even a second later she marched right over to the two. She went ahead and punched each of their heads, causing the two to hit the ground and hold their heads in pain. An irk mark was clear as daylight on her head.

"That's for causing Seitarou to cry, AGAIN!" She said and marched towards the door, stopping and pointing right at them. "And for your information, your talk about being more handsome is pathetic. Please take your heads out of your egotistical asses and bring it to your IQ's. Oh, wait! That's six feet under the ground! Now you have something to cry about, so go sob it to your imaginary girlfriends, because we all know neither of you got any!"

Alloisia, having said what she said, stepped out of the room and slammed the door shut. Clapping her hand together as if to get the dust off of them, she walked right back to the office. Kiji and Uno sulked in the corner, holding the bright red lumps on their heads.

"So brutal…" Uno sobbed softly.

"To think she would hit me too, uhohoho…!" Sobbed Kiji.

"I've never seen Al look so angry…" Rock murmured to Nico. "I've seen him annoyed and all, but this…?"

"Yeah, she's pretty protective of everyone." Nico whispered back to him. "She told me she always beat up her neighborhood bullies who hurt her siblings…"

"Oh, I get it." Rock said. "She imagines us as her siblings. She is really strict, so it wouldn't surprise me if she even disciplined her own siblings…"

Nico nodded his head, agreeing with what Rock said.

But neither Uno or Kiji heard as they were pitying themselves from Alloisia's harshness. To be frank, the two inmates agreed that they both deserved it. Even if Alloisia went a bit too far…

.

"...Then I insulted them."

"Damn, you're as brutal as ever, eehehe!"

Today was now day three of Hajime's suspension. And, to be quite frank, Alloisia was so glad that it was Samon. If it was somebody like Mao Nimajita, the Supervisor of Building 2, she was quite confident that she would kill somebody. Alloisia explained her run in with Kiji yesterday, having to rant to somebody about it, and Samon was snickering along at her tale.

"Anyways, getting back on track." Samon coughed into his hand to wipe the smirk off of his face. "Was there any trouble with the inmates _besides_ that?"

"Nope." Alloisia shook her head. "They've been good… Except for two newbies who began fighting in the cafeteria yesterday, but Shiro took care of it. The cafeteria can always be trusted to him if anything going on."

"I don't doubt it…" Samon said, when in reality he was flat out lying. "...So, how's it like to have your job back, eh?"

"It feels good." Alloisia said, smiling at the ground, not like he could see. "Very good…"

Samon hummed out just as they got to Cell 13. Using her key, Alloisia opened the cell for him. But when he saw how the inmates were inside, he instantly became fuming. If there was one thing Samon hated, it would be lazy inmates.

"GET UP YOU LAZY PUNKS!" He shouted at the three.

"E-easy, Samon!" Alloisia said and began blocking his way so he didn't strangle anybody. "Calm down, man! Kiji went on an angry rant on them yesterday, and it was basically my fault. I had to kick Kiji out of the Cell by one in the morning because he was literally causing them to—"

Alloisia stopped at the sound of loud footsteps. Even Samon stopped as they wondered where it was coming from. As if it was a sudden spell, the three inmates yelped in horror and scrammed out of their beds. Just as the two guards began wondering what was going on, they were suddenly shoved to either side as none other than Yamato busted through the door.

"KNOCK KNOCK, GENTLEMEN!" Greeted the noisy Japanese man. "HOW ARE YOU?! ARE YOU ALL READY FOR SOME MORNING TRAINING?!"

Yamato gazed around the room, find the inmates nowhere to be found. Samon and Alloisia just stared up at Yamato from their spots on the floor.

"Hold on, they aren't home." Yamato's voice dialed down as he turned to leave. "I must be hearing voices, then. I guess i'll go then, until next time!"

"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Samon shot up and grabbed Yamato's shoulder to stop him. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, Yamato!"

"Inmates…" Samon pulled Nico out from his hiding spot. "Out of their cells?" He opened a closet to reveal Rock.

Holding his infamous staff, Samon exhaled and slammed the end of it against the ground. This caused Uno to fall from his hiding spot, which was the ceiling. Alloisia, back onto her feet, could only gaze at where he had been on the ceiling in confusion.

"You know that's not possible, Yamato." Samon said to the other male. "This is Nanba Prison, after all."

"The hell did he get up there…?" Alloisia wondered to herself in shock.

"Oh! There you are, guys!" Happily exclaimed Yamato as he marched closer to the three. "Let's move onto the training course, shall we?!"

"Don't make us, I'm begging you!" Uno exclaimed desperately. "I get so sore the next day, don't make me do it!"

"Exercising is supposed to be leisurely!" Exclaimed Rock while Nico trembled behind the two under a blanket.

"What type of exercises is Yamato making them do…?" Samon asked.

"Deathly brutal ones…" Alloisia said darkly, paling herself at the thought of exercising.

"If it's coming from you then it must be human torture!" Samon exclaimed, shocked by her claim.

"No, not really." Replied a voice from behind them.

Startled, they both whirled around to see the familiar masked face of Tsukumo, or inmate No.99. Alloisia relaxed at the sight of him while Samon was still stiff as a board.

"WHO THE HELL'RE YOU!?" Samon yelled at him.

"My name is Tsukumo, but my designated number is 99." Said the supposed 'ninja'.

"No.99 loves to exercise, so he's always with me at this time of day." Explained Yamato. "He's very passionate about exercising, it's fantastic!"

"A Japanese man must train constantly!" Said Tsukumo while nodding. "Yamato's exercising routine is perfect for my training!"

"Here they go again, the Japanese freaks…" Muttered Uno.

Samon paled at hearing them say that, astonished they were so serious about it. He looked at Alloisia to see her standing right behind him, clearly not wanting to join their training.

"I like exercising, I really do, but not when it comes to Yamato…" She said softly so only Samon heard. "I like Yamato and all, great guy really, but he terrifies the shit outta me…"

"Oh, come now, Alan! You're wonderful when it comes to training! Nothing can reach your limits!" Complimented Yamato, trying to get her to join.

"Nobody can humanly reach his limits because he doesn't physically give himself any." Samon stated bluntly as she hid behind him. "Nicci will physically train until he literally drops. By then, he has to be taken to the medics for making himself go unconcious. He won't be joining your training."

"THANK YOU!" She exclaimed, still clinging onto Samon.

"Oh, fine! But next time you will be joining us, Alan!" Declared Yamato. "We'll turn up the heat of it just for you to feel the burn of training hard!"

"PLEASE DON'T!" Alloisia and the four inmates yelled in horror.

"Hey, is everything okay in here?" Seitarou popped his head in. "I heard loud yelling, is everybody okay?"

"By the why, do any of you guys heard of how Jyugo's condition is?" Asked Tsukumo.

"I'm afraid we have…" Uno said, speaking in a heavy tone. "I'm afraid he came down with a terrible case of 'idiopathic-raw-oyster-tremer-cell syndrome.'"

"That sounds quite serious." Tsukumo said.

' _HE'S BUYING THAT BULLSHIT?!_ ' Alloisia screamed in her head in shock at his idiocy.

"The doctors tried everything they can do but in the end…" Nico trailed off, his voice beginning to shake.

"Don't tell me he…!" Tsukumo's eyes went wide in shock.

"Don't sugar coat it…" Uno whimpered, as if prepared to sob.

"He's dead…" Whispered Rock.

"Such a tragic loss…!" Sniffled Nico.

"Let us spend this day in mourning…" Spoke Uno.

"Jyugo…! No…!" Tsukumo tried not to cry.

"Well, even training can wait for some things…" Yamato said, clasping his hands together in prayer.

"Our condolences…" Seitarou said, doing the same.

"You…" Alloisia fumed and punched Uno, Nico, and Rock in the head. "...JERKS!"

They all cried out and held their heads in pain. Alloisia was utterly fuming at this point. She understands that they want to get out of training, but they could've used a better method! She never likes it when people joke about deaths, especially ones that aren't even true!

"Don't fuckin' make lies like that, you pieces of shit!" She yelled at them, her voice drawing out a strange type of city/italian accent. "There's nothin' I hate more than lies like that, you hear me?!" She then pointed at the others except Samon. "And you three! Don't believe every effin' word that comes outta their mouths, got it? Jyugo's still in a coma recoverin' just fine, okay? He ain't dead."

"Oh, that's relieving." Tsukumo said, now calming down and turning back to normal.

"And you three…!" She turned to them and grabbed them all by the back of their collars, beginning to drag them away. "I ain't done with you yet. Think of this trainin' as punishment for pissin' me off!"

"Let us go! We're sorry, okay?!" Begged Uno as he began to try and struggle against her, now becoming irritated by her. "What the hell's with that accent anyways?! It's like you're entirely a different person!"

"Blame my mutha…" Alloisia muttered, thinking about how her italian mother talks.

" _ **What, this is just how I talk!**_ " _She would exclaim every time Alloisia pointed it out. "_ _ **Everybody in the family talks like this, al'ight. My mutha always talked like this, your aunt always talks like this, y—hey. What'da gigglin' for?... So what if my 'talk' sounds like 'chalk!' *sigh* Child of mine... Just you watch, the olda you get, the more your Italian side will show, capisce?**_ "

"Oh, splendid!" Exclaimed Yamato from behind her, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Good to know we're all joining! Let's start off with the usual push ups, sit ups, then running, huh? Then we can go straight for the balance beams, ah ha ha ha!"

' _I can't believe I got myself into this…_ ' Alloisia murmured in her thoughts. ' _I am not prepared for "the burn"… My hands have already had enough of that. I'm not joining, but these bastards are…'_

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	22. Chapter 22

"Oh, Supervisor! It's good to see you after three days."

"Please don't even get suspended again…"

"Why? Were there any problems while I was gone?"

"No, I guess… The three didn't find out anything, but it was stressful..."

Today was finally the day that Hajime would come back from being suspended. Alloisia never thought she would be glad to see Hajime back again. After yesterday she felt guilty about harming the guys, but she was very defensive when it comes to saying stuff like 'someone died' when in reality they're completely fine. Plus they were trying to use it as an excuse to escape training, which was something she will not stand for.

But afterwards she ended up getting teased by Samon because she went 'mafia' on them. It was a huge inside joke between them and a few inmates. But she honestly can't say she was too proud of it. Either way, she was just grateful Hajime was back. But… she was concern for Jyugo.

"Of course. This job isn't some luxury after all." Hajime told her, probably jabbing at the fact she was almost fired. "I'm assuming you took care of most of the hard work?"

"...Kinda, I guess." She shrugged her shoulders. "The inmates of Cell 13 have been real feisty lately. Well, Uno has been. The other two have been honestly quiet. It's quite clear that they're concerned for Jyugo…"

"Speaking of No.15, are you going to see him, sir?" Seitarou asked.

"Yep." Hajime said and looked at Alloisia. "But, I've got a job for you to do."

"Huh…?" She lifted her head up, confused as to why he would say that.

"C'mon." He gestured her to follow him, which she immediately did. "Head over to Building 4. I spoke to Kenshirou a bit earlier today, and he said he wanted you to come with him to speak to No.634."

"What? Why?" Alloisia asked, almost in a defensive manner. "That guy fried my hands, and almost cost me my job. I've got nothing to say to that brat…"

"Yeah, well," Hajime sighed in clear annoyance. "Kenshirou begs to differ. I think he only wants you to go and talk with him because of 'your way with words'. If you can get that guy to trust you, then we might be able to interrogate with him properly."

"You guys put way too much faith into my words." Alloisia groaned softly behind him. "You make it sound like I can make people trust me by blinking my eyes. It takes time for them to put their faith into me. Hell, it took Jyugo a week or two to trust me."

"Yeah, because you kissed the kid." Hajime shot at her. "Of course he would hardly trust you after that. He thought you were a man who was trying to sexually assault him."

Alloisia made a noise in the back of her throat, clearly displeased he brought that up. She was really hoping he would let that go. Releasing a sigh to calm herself and a scratch to her head, she got back on track of the conversation.

"...Fine. I'll go see Kenshirou." She grumbled reluctantly. "He's in Building 4, yeah? I'm guessing his little arsonist is being held tightly underground over there. But I swear to god, if he even tries torching me again, I'll make sure it'll be forever impossible for him to procreate ever again…"

Hajime silently cringed at her claim, remembering how she had kicked No.634 so hard that practically every man felt that pain. Didn't help that she's got inhuman strength…

Eventually she departed with Hajime and went to Building 4 as quick as she could. Getting there she was greeted by his guard dogs. As tempted as she was to pet them, she refrained from doing so. They kinda have a grudge against her anyways so that's out of the question…

Walking through Building 4, she went straight down to the Underground, knowing exactly how to get there. After all, she did get thrown down once in awhile. Once she descended downwards, she was quick to find Kenshirou standing at the entranced into the underground. She could only assume he was waiting on her.

"I see that you finally arrived." Kenshirou said, as if he was annoyed with her. "Took long enough for you to get here…"

"It isn't like my building is your next door neighbor, Kenshirou." She said calmly. "Anyways, you wanted me to come to help interrogate…?"

"That's right." Kenshirou nodded to her. "But, let me do the talking. If you feel the need to interject then go ahead. If you could get No.634 to trust you well enough, then we would be in a bit of an advantage. You tend to have the ability to rub your emotions onto people, so if you can do that here and make him calm, we might just get somewhere…"

"So, I'm practically worthless here." Alloisia said bluntly. "I know you're great at your own interrogations and all, but I find it hard to believe that you just want my help to make friends with him. Is there something else you want from me?"

"Not really." Kenshirou said. "But, I wouldn't mind a second opinion on the matter. Think of it as your training as an officer. No.634 refuses to talk unless he can talk to No.15." This grabbed her attention. "Hajime will be interrogating No.15 while we'll be doing the same to No.634. We'll allow the two to talk, but…" He holds up a large walkie-talkie. "Not face to face, of course. After that, I'm sure we can grill him of everything he knows…"

"...Okay, I see you strategie…" Alloisia muttered. "But what happens if the conversation goes sour? What'll we do if either of them go out of whack?"

"That's why you're here." Kenshirou said simply. "I'll be relying on you to keep the conversation calm. Can I trust you enough to turn the conversation around if it starts getting bad?"

"...Yeah, alright." Alloisia nodded. "I'll do my best to keep it calm and peaceful. If it's through the walkie, I can probably calm Jyugo down too if it gets bad. I don't want Hajime hurting him again… I'll follow your lead…"

Kenshirou nodded to her before turning around. She quietly followed him through the underground. There honestly wasn't many inmates underground, but there was enough to make her be careful. Once they got to Musashi's cell, she was surprised he didn't really appear to be… hostile. He was restrained to the wall, unable to really escape. She wondered if he could melt those cuffs off if he wanted to…

"No.634, are you comfortable in there?" Kenshirou spoke coldly, knowing not to let his guard down with this guy.

"Yeah, if I think this could get any more dark, wet, and tight I'd think I'd be stuck in your ass." Commented Musashi with a smirk clear as day on his face. "Makes me miss the good old days in solitary."

"File a formal complaint. And how did you know it was dark?" Questioned Kenshirou.

"Lucky guess." Musashi shrugged. He paused, as if listening carefully. "Who's the second one—the guy behind you? I know that ain't Jyugo… Did you bring a bodyguard for protection? How cute."

"Nah, he just figured that he should bring the bitch who destroyed your balls." Alloisia said snarkily, her own smirk curling onto her lips.

Musashi made a sound and jolted against his restraints, as if trying to move away from her. It honestly made her feel delighted he was uncomfortable with her, but it wasn't why she was here. Alloisia sighed, wiping away any hatred emotions she had and stayed calm. Kenshirou would beat her ass if she riled the inmate up.

"Look. We'll give you a chance to talk to Jyugo, but only on the condition to tell us everything that we want to know." Alloisia said, now becoming serious. "Don't leave a single detail out. I wanna hear everything you know…"

"Fine. That was our deal from the start anyways." Musashi said. "Now can you girls hurry it along? I want to hear Jyugo talk, not you."

' _Yeah, he's a little shit…_ ' Alloisia thought and looked to Kenshirou. The older man took out the walkie-talkie and placed it right to the outside of the cell. He informed Musashi that this will be how he can talk to Jyugo. Turning it on, Musashi waited a moment before he could talk.

"Hi, Jyugo. Can you hear me?" Called out Musashi, as if he was taunting him. "I guess you're still in the infirmary, huh? Enjoy that bed while you can…"

"Get to the point, 634." Kenshirou ordered him. "If this is just a social call I'll end it."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'll talk." Sighed the inmate. "I'll just cut the crap and let it all out now, alright. What I'm lookin' to talk about, it the man with the scar. You said you were lookin' for him, right? Well, to tell him the truth, so am I. I was wondering how much you know about him. How old is he? Have you heard his voice, or seen his face? Whatcha got?"

" _No, I don't._ " Growled Jyugo's voice from the walkie. " _That's what I was hoping to learn from you… I know he has a scar on his neck, and that he's the one who put me into these 'shackles.' Aside from that, nothing._ "

"Well, boo." Musashi said and hanged his head as if disappointed. "I kinda figure that it would be all you would tell me, but I figured it was worth checking."

' _You bastard…! You destroyed an entire area and provoked the kid just to have some talk?! What the hell…!_ ' Alloisia fumed in her thoughts.

"The whole reason you want to find this guy is for him to take those shackles off you, right?" Musashi questioned him. "That's _all_ you want?"

" _That's right_." Jyugo replied, his tone sounding bored or flat. " _If he can get these things off, there's nothing that'll stop me from getting these things off..._ "

"So he bust off your shackles and then what? You're done?" Musashi asked him.

" _Yeah…_ " Jyugo replied. Alloisia found that rather strange.

Musashi chuckled, only to go out into full out laughter. He was kicking his feet in the air like it was the most hilarious thing he's heard in decades. But, Alloisia could tell he was pissed…

"That's all you want?!" Musashi yelled at him through the walkie. "You _seriously_ hulked out on me and blew your cover over something that _STUPID_?! Ha! If you wanted those damn things off than you might as well cut your hands and feet off! Oh right, there's one on you neck. Ahahaha!"

Alloisia was about to slam her fist against the bars, but was stopped by Kenshirou. She glared at him, seeing that he was telling her 'no'. Getting the point, she pulled her arm away, and listened to Musashi.

"I knew somethin' was off about you!" Musashi growled at Jyugo. "You got no use for those shackles, Jyugo. I really wish you'd let me have 'em…!"

" _Musashi, why're you so obsessed with taking my shackles?_ " Jyugo asked. " _What do you want them for?_ "

"Ahahaha!" Laughed Musashi. "The shackles themselves don't mean anything to me. If it means to an end, that's all. All they are is a way to get closer to that man, and when I make sure that I do, I can kill him!"

Jyugo made a surprised sound, probably surprised by Musashi's declaration. " _You want to KILL him…? Why take it that far…?_ "

"When he first put those shackles on you and forced you to take that form, what did you think…?" Musashi asked. "You felt like a monster, right? I felt the same… The difference is that I've been like that for as long as I can remember. It wasn't a power, per say. For all practical purposes, I was diseased. You can't imagine who I had to suffer through the peculiar constitution I was born with…!"

Alloisia had calmed by Musashi's words, now finding this story interesting. But at the same time, it made her feel like she could empathize with him. ' _Maybe… Just maybe…_ '

"I was in constant pain, afraid of the next explosion." Musashi continued. "Then the man with the scar showed up. He said he was a scientist, and promised to release me of my suffering. But that wasn't what he planned to do. He just wanted to use my physical idiosyncrasy for his _own_ research…"

" _That can't be… Your powers are way beyond science…_ " Jyugo whispered in clear shock.

"Think about who we're dealing with here, Jyugo." Musashi said. "Those shackles he slapped you with are beyond science, too. Beyond normal science, anyways. But he isn't normal—augmenting the human body means nothing to him! I started out as a freak, but once he was done with me I turned into a bonafide monster… Straight from the fires of hell and able to control them… I tried torching his ass, but he sliced right through my flames with those same blades of yours, Jyugo. That's how I lost my right eye, too… That's how it went down for me. Kinda feels like we're in a support group, right?"

" _Are you saying… the man with the scar had a pair of shackles like mine…?_ " Jyugo questioned.

"You got it." Musashi smirked. "His blades were exactly like yours, and I would know."

" _You're telling me there are two sets of these things…?!_ " Growled Jyugo before he screamed in anger. " _DAMN HIM…!_ "

"Do you understand what I want those shackles now?" Musashi asked him.

" _Yeah… I get it…_ " Jyugo muttered, still probably seeming with anger. " _You need a way to match his power…_ "

"Bingo~" Musashi sang. "You have a very special weapon, Jyugo… The only blades in the world that can cut through my flames. Imagine if I had that weapon! With it and my fire, I'd be pretty strong. If I can use his own tool against him along with my fire, I could manage to take him down, don't chya think?"

" _That's some stupidly optimistic thinking._ " Jyugo stated bluntly. " _You don't even know if that's possible._ "

"I don't care…" Musashi said. "If there's even a chance of success, then I'll use it to end his life. He won't get away with what he's done. I'll make him pay. And if I die too, so be it. As long as I get to murder that bastard first… I'm willing to walk myself to the gallows! Well, that's how I used to think..."

" _What._ " Alloisia spoke up, clearly surprised by his sudden change in attitude and speech.

" _Wait… is that…?_ "

"It's impossible now. I can't light up anymore." Musashi answered and shrugged casually, not letting Jyugo wonder if Alloisia was there. "It's pretty weird. It's all a little fuzzy but, I think the doctors here put something in me. I don't know what, like a… computer chip? When it detects the heat given off before ignition it automatically suppresses my powers. I actually tried, of course, but I can't seem to trigger it. It was an old coot and an old hag with a sailor's mouth."

' _OF COURSE IT WAS THEM!_ ' Alloisia facepalmed, knowing she shouldn't be at all surprised. ' _But… I would be lying if I said I wasn't relieved by it… At least I can be at ease, knowing he can't harm any innocents in an escape attempt…_ '

" _Seriously…? They can do something like that?_ " Jyugo questioned.

"It's the Otogi couple, of course they can." Alloisia found herself speaking up as she was rubbing her own head in irritation. "Always developing new technology—never satisfied with how it is now. As much as I'm grateful for them, I'm just as annoyed that they're still the same old bats that they are…"

"Ha! Sounds like you got some personal problems of your own." Musashi said.

"Well, that isn't wrong…" Alloisia murmured, finally calming down.

" _Is… Is that Al… As in, Alan…?_ " Jyugo questioned.

The girl sighed softly and bent down to the ground next to the walkie-talkie. "Yeah, it's me. Good to know you're as flat sounding as ever."

" _Why're you over there…?!_ " Jyugo asked, suddenly seeming fired up.

"It's not like I wanna be." Alloisia replied calmly. "Since I'm a newbie still I was brought down here for an 'example'. Believe me, I rather be other there and seeing how you're doing than over here…"

" _O-oh…_ " Murmured Jyugo. " _A-anyways, back to the topic here. Musashi, what're you getting at here? I don't get your point in all this. If you know it's impossible then why're you all telling me this now?_ "

"I don't know. Guess I just felt like it?" Musashi said and shrugged, clearly having a deeper meaning to his words. "Maybe I was just curious in you learning about all this would make you feel? I'll catch ya later, sweety~"

Alloisia clicked the walkie-talkie off, annoyed that Jyugo is oblivious as ever. Grabbing the object, she handed it to Kenshirou as her mind whirled with the information Musashi gave. It actually made a lot of sense, but it angered her that they caused so much trouble that could've been avoided. They're lucky that nobody got hurt with their recklessness.

"Hey, Inu, mind letting these cuffs off?" Musashi called out to them. "My arms hurt and I'm tired."

"Idiot, I can't do that." Kenshirou snapped at him, angered by his rudeness.

"...Inu, eh?" Alloisia smirked at Kenshirou. "Sounds perfect to me."

"Don't encourage him, you're a guard, not an inmate anymore." Snapped the man.

"Oh, just because I'm a guard doesn't mean I'm gonna stop teasin' you guys." She said and waved at him. It was clear Kenshirou was regretting bringing her here. "Anyways, you might as well let the dude out of those cuffs. He can't use his powers, much less fight either of us. Plus, he might be more willing to tell us more if you let him out of the cuffs…"

Kenshirou stared at her for a moment before turning to the nearby control panels. "If anything goes wrong, you're to blame…"

"I'll be surprise if you _don't_ blame me." She commented, watching as the cuffs released Musashi's arms.

"Phew… This feels way better." Musashi said, rubbing his arms and wrist and standing from his spot. "Thanks."

"Now, time for you to hold your end of the deal." Alloisia said colding, surprising the man. "Now, this is what I understand from your story. You were born with the problem of human combustion and it was a nuisance to your life. After a lot of incidents, you got caught by the police, right? That man with the scar explicitly targeted you because of your powers. Any idea why?"

"Hell if I know." Musashi responded, stepping closer to the bars. "I think he was just usin' me as a toy. Something to make time go by…"

"Hm…" Alloisia clicked her tongue, clearly not believing it. "You're smart, right? Think with that head of yours. What made you a target? How did you get caught by the police, and how many of those incidence happen? I don't believe that the guy who messed with your body is your _only_ grudge against him. I find it hard to believe that one man can simple do all this hell without the slightest bit of help. Was there something that stood out, did he have an accomplice, did he have a strange accent—we need to know, Musashi. So, tell me every. Single. Detail."

"You're straight forwards," Musashi comment and smirked again. "Fine… You really wanna know that bad? Well, I'll tell you…"

Musashi went into detail, just like Alloisia ordered him to do. She actually sat down on the ground and listened, hearing about how he grew up and how he had a harsh life. She really did begin to empathize with him. Yes, it was hard going through being called a freak, but it didn't sound so bad until he got to college. It really did go down to hell from there on. Once he finished his tale, she honestly pitied him. Seeing him, sitting down cross legged just like she was reminded her of a child. He was just some broken kid who got his life practically ruined by a selfish, inhuman person...

"...All of that was true, not like I can prove it." Musashi finished his story. "The prison ended up burning down. There's no evidence of what happened there. I don't really expect you to believe me… I lost at any chance of revenge once my flames were taken from me. But knowing that is strangely relaxing… That's not to say my thirst for revenge is finished. But if I'm being honest, I wish I came here a lot sooner… _Just kidding_."

"No, I believe you." Alloisia stated, clearly shocking the man. "I know when a person's lying. And, you're being down right honest. You did what I asked and kept our deal. Plus… with your information, and whatever information Jyugo may have, we can commend an investigation to be taken place and hunt down that bastard who did this to you guys. Who knows how many people he harmed…"

"Wait, hold on." Musashi spoke up. "You seriously trust me? Just like that? No interrogation, or even threats of violence?"

"Why would I do that?" Alloisia asked him. "Us guards aren't here to beat the living shit out of you guys. Our jobs are to make sure you follow the rules and protect you from any sort of threats. That's our _job_. I care about the inmates here, alright? I care about every single person who can be changed for the better. Not everyone here is some psychopathic douche who needs to be restrained and kept away from the world. There are people out there, just like you, who grew up a shitty life and either got framed or went down a dark road. I know because I went through a lot of shit you went through."

"Really…?" Musashi mumbled in disbelief.

"Mm-hm…" She nodded her head. "Ever heard of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy, or HSAN? It's a genetic disease that prevents me from sensing the difference between hot and cold, soft or rough. I can hardly feel pain and my ' _limits'_ are inhumanly high because I can't give myself any. I'm a freak who can't feel shit. People hated me as I grew up since I couldn't control my strength properly. The only ones who cared and supported me would be my family. I've been tested on by many doctors, most wondering just how it works or, just seeing what I can do. My dad, who's actually an immigrant, knew how to help me. My mother sometimes lost her temper with me, but would come back and try again with me. Growing up as a freak was hard since nobody liked me. Eventually I went down a dark path and ended up in prison multiple times. Then, I ended up in Nanba. They straightened me out and I served my sentence. Now, here I am, working as a guard and doing a lot better."

"That's almost comical to hear." Musashi said. "Sounds too good to be true. Are you seriously not lyin'?"

"Believe what you wish." Alloisia shrugged. "But just know that I never lie about my past. By the way, you said you were born in Germany, right?"

"Yeah, what of it?" Musashi asked.

"How's it like over there?" She asked, her eyes holding a type of shine to them. "My mom is italian while my father was an immigrant from Germany. He's told us stories about living there, so I'm genuinely curious about it."

"Seriously…?" Musashi looked so puzzled and confused. "How does this conversation go from you telling about how you can empathize with me, to you being fascinated by me being raised in Germany?"

"Who knows." Alloisia innocently shrugged while smiling. "I'm just some freak after all, but that's okay. I learned my mistakes and paid the price for them. Now, it's up to me to make up all the time I wasted in jail."

"Huh…" Musashi shook his head at her. "You really are strange. Especially from being a criminal and becoming a guard. That's some type of shit you'd hear in a show or somethin'."

"Recently I've been getting that a lot, too, haha." Alloisia chuckled in amusement. "But, just know that you're honestly not alone, okay? You said you wanted revenge on the man with the scar. Well… Help us figure out more about him and that accomplice of his. If something comes to mind—an accent, or the type of cologne he wears—tell us. If you want your revenge so bad, help us throw that guy's ass in jail."

"Huh…?" Musashi looked confused, or at least surprised by her.

"What he says is true." Kenshirou finally spoke up after so long. "Seeing your abilities and No.15's blades are enough proof that your story is true. I'd be a damn fool if I didn't believe it. Also, it wouldn't be the first rumor that I've heard of inmates being used for human experience. In fact, that was the subject I was working on in my days with the police."

"Seriously?" Musashi looked surprised. "If that's true then why…"

"Why haven't I done something about it?" Kenshirou finished his sentence before explaining. "Because much like you I was unable to convince anyone that it was real. I recovered numerous reports of my findings but the accounts I gathered were rejected. My superiors labeled them as 'baseless rumors.' Over time, I gathered this was a subject they weren't interested in. I know a cover up when I see one. My hands were tied as a policeman so I resigned—continued my investigation as a correctional officer. I won't stop until I expose the truth."

"So you're willing to go that far, eh?" Musashi said, looking amused. "I guess the time will be well worth it when you showed them you were right."

"Wrong~" Alloisia sang, catching Musashi off guard. "You honestly don't know a damn thing about Kenshirou if you believe that's the case…"

"Whadda mean?" Musashi asked.

"I will not turn my eye to wanted corruption." Kenshirou stated. "There are crimes worse than perverting the justice system for personal gain. And these experiments are in flagrant disregard of human rights. Such acts are grossly immoral… I swore an oath to uphold the law. These repulsive criminals will not be allowed to walk free! They must face justice…!"

"You're getting kind of intense…" Musashi commented. "You might care about this more than I do."

"Good to know you're finally catching on." Alloisia jokingly said and got back onto her feet. "Even I can't allow something like that to happen any longer. Turning people into criminals just to use for their own personal gain… It's sickening. Those bastard do deserve to die, but not until they pay for it in a court of law and are imprisoned themselves. No matter what, justice will always prevail in the end…"

"The people who did this to you…" Kenshirou kneeled down and held out his hand to Musashi. "...They will be punished, I swear it."

"I've been hiding this since I've got here, and there are plenty of reasons why I might lie to you…" Musashi said, clearly confused. "Why take me and my word for it?"

"You're basically all we have." Alloisia stated calmly. "You're just a victim in this, just like many others. I don't doubt that you could be lying, but I rather take your word or it. I want your words to be true. Because if they are, it just means that we have the ability now to go after those men and punish them for their wrong doings. We're putting our bets on you, Musashi. But we can't do that, if you don't trust us…"

Musashi was silent for a moment, seeming to contemplate what they were saying. Eventually, his usual smirk found it's way back onto his face.

"Huh…" He muttered. "Ever since I was put in your care, there's something I've always thought… I've been wanting to say this for a while now..." Musashi had his hand into a fist and placed it onto Kenshirou's open palm. "...You're way too serious, man."

Alloisia could only smirk, glad that he actually put his trust in them. She could tell that even Kenshirou was content with what he said.

"It wasn't easy but you finally learned how to shake." Kenshirou said, surprising the two next to him. "Good boy."

"Wait a minute, what do you mean 'learn to shake'!?" Musashi asked. "I am not a dog to teach tricks to!"

"It was a joke. Forget it." Kenshirou said.

"No one's laughing!" Musashi exclaimed.

"Actually, I'm laughing," Alloisia giggled, having her arm hugging her stomach.

"THEN STOP LAUGHING!" He yelled at her, causing her to laugh even louder. He pulled his hand away from Kenshirou, placing it on his head, and sighed. "Ugh… You sound like such a girl but it's hard to tell…"

"Huh…?" Alloisia immediately stopped and listened to him.

"What do you mean by that?" Kenshirou questioned.

"You said before you were the person who kicked me where the sun doesn't shine, right?" Musashi said pointing at Alloisia. "Back then you yelled at me for calling you a 'woman'. Then you come here and say that you are. But… I'm just not getting that. Your voice isn't much help since you change your pitch all the time, and the vibrations from the ground is just… weird. So, tell me the trust: are you a girl or a boy?"

"I'm not allowed to answer that, but…" Alloisia bent down and grabbed his arm, placing it right under the sleeve of her left arm. "...Are the vibrations telling you now?"

Musashi waited a moment before letting out a soft surprise sound. Alloisia just chuckled and pulled her arm away, holding her hands behind her back and straightening up. She looked to Kenshirou as he stood up as well.

"May I go back to my building now?" She asked him.

"Yes, you may." Kenshirou nodded. "I'll lead you out of here."

"Alright." She looked to Musashi. "Goodbye, Musashi. Maybe if Kenshioru will allow it I'll try to visit again."

"I'll think about it…" Muttered the man before walking.

Alloisia rolled her eyes and began following him. They didn't speak until they were out of the underground. Since Musashi's senses are rather heightened, she didn't want him knowing what she was saying to Kenshirou.

"That went surprisingly well." She commented.

"Yes it did." Kenshirou agreed and looked down at her. "It appears that, once again, you have gain the trust of another inmate by just talking. You truly are something…"

"Yeah, well…" Alloisia sighed. "You probably would've gotten your results without me. I still don't get why you wanted me to come down…"

"Because…" Kenshirou eyed her sharply. "You have the ability to help rehabilitate the inmates. That's why I asked for your help."

Alloisia just stared back at him, surprised by his answer. She never really had much faith in her 'ability' because it's just her casually talking. They make it sound like a big deal when all she does is just treating them like a human being. Looking away from Kenshirou, she gazed at the hall before her.

"...I'll be honest," she spoke up. "I wanted to punch him so hard for doing what he did. Hurting Jyugo, destroying the stadium—seriously, what the hell! If he just wanted to talk to him about it he should've just talked to him, damnit!"

"For once, I agree…" Kenshirou muttered. "But, we did get a lot more information than we asked for. Enough to make it into a case…"

"Want me to make a report?" Alloisia asked him.

"Please do." Kenshirou said, looking her dead in the eye. "I'll need all the support I can get on this. I trust that you will try gathering information yourself…?"

"Leave it to me…" She said smirking at him. ' _That bastard's gonna pay for hurting Jyugo and Musashi the way he did. I bet there's countless other victims, too… I'll make him pay, just you watch…_ '

.

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	23. Chapter 23

_Scribble scribble scribble._

"Aaaaand done…!"

Alloisia leaned back into her chair, putting her hands on her face and groaning into them. As soon as she got back to Building 13 she began writing diligently on that report Kenshirou asked her to do. She wanted it done as soon as possible. She closed the report and clipped it together so the papers wouldn't escape the folder. The story she learned from Musashi had left a bad taste in her mouth.

A man who is only known for the 'scar on his neck'. It was horizontal, then was crossed with three lines going down. As if someone sliced him on the back of the neck. ' _It's quite a dangerous place to get injured in…_ ' He's a scientist, or doctor. Either way, he is highly intelligent. Probably disturbed as well, but no one can see it. To classify him, the word would have to be 'sociopath'. He's very disturbed but he doesn't show it, and probably has lots of awards and is well respected.

But for his associate… ' _Elf_ '... He's probably one as well. But, he is just an underling from how Musashi talked. He ruined Musashi's life, wasting his time on going to the same college and trapping Musashi to a life of crime. He likes blabbing his mouth, and gets carried away with it. ' _But I think it's more to it than that…_ '

"Oi, Agilulf."

"Huh?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Alloisia spun around in her chair to see that Hajime called her. She pushed her lingering thoughts on Musashi's past and focused on Hajime instead. She hadn't seen him since he told her to go see Kenshirou this morning. It was already past lunch.

"Yeah, Hajime?" She questioned, showing her attention was on him.

"An inmate just requested to talk to you." Hajime said and thrusted his thumb over his shoulder. "He requested to talk in private with you, so keep your radio on if something happens. He's waiting in one of the vacant cells down the hall. It's Cell 123."

"They want to talk…?" Alloisia muttered, her eyebrows furrowing together in confusion. "Who's asking for me?"

"The idiot asked me not to say…" Grumbled Hajime. "Don't worry. This is someone you get along with, so don't worry. I can't believe I'm doing this for him…"

" _O-kaaaay…_ " Alloisia muttered before standing up. "Strange, but whatever. I'll go see the person, whoever the hell it is..."

"Hold it." Hajime order as she was about to walk by.

She stopped and faced him, only to watch his hands grab either side of her mask and take it off. She was bewildered by he would do that considering the fact that the Warden used it as a reason to fire her! It's only been four days since then, she wants to keep her job, thank you!

"W-what're you—"

"You have a knack for yapping your mouth off." Hajime stated bluntly. "Plus, I figured you might want this off when talking to the kid. You're still staying in Building 13, so it's not like the Warden will see. Not get going."

"Uh… Alright…" Alloisia muttered softly.

Being genuinely confused, she exited the office and went towards Cell 123. As she walked to the cell, her mind began whirling in confusion. Why would ask for her specifically? All the inmates know her by now, and all of them tolerate her, so it could be anyone. Hajime said 'kid,' so that limits it down. But who could it—

Alloisia found herself right outside of the cell. She stared at the sign before looking at the door. He said he knew the person, but that doesn't mean she didn't have her guard down. Being cautious, she grabbed her key and opened the door. Stepping inside of the cell, she was shocked to see who was in it.

"Oh, you came." Spoke none other than Jyugo. "Took you long enough…"

She blinked at him, unable to respond.

"U-um… You… uh…" Jyugo felt like his skin was burning under her eyes.

The door behind her swung close, locking the two inside. Jyugo stared back at her, wondering what was going on with her. She just… wasn't talking. Standing there, staring. It was honestly creeping him out and making him feel more nervous than before.

"Are you just gonna stand there all day, or…?" Jyugo spoke, wanting her to do something.

"JYUGO!" She basically screeched, startling the poor boy.

Alloisia lunged forwards, wrapping her arms tightly around Jyugo, almost knocking him down to the ground. Jyugo could help but feel flustered. Even when he saw the guys again none of them showed him affection such as this. Plus, nobody ever hugged him like this so…

"Are you okay!?" She asked, pulling back and cupping both of his cheeks. "You've been out for three days! I'm not seeing scars, so that's good… Did Hajime hurt? I swear to god I'll skin that bald gorilla—"

"H-hey, take it ease!" Jyugo exclaimed, trying to calm her down. "I'm fine, I'm fine! If I wasn't okay I wouldn't be out of the Underground cells by now…"

Alloisia was quiet for a moment before hugging him again. Jyugo, not really knowing what to do, just kinda wrapped his arms around her in an awkward manner.

"I'm so glad you're okay…!" She whispered to him. She pulled away and held his shoulders so he would still be looking at her. "You had me worried for so long. I thought Hajime really killed you for a moment there… Thank god you're fine, ugh…"

"U-uh, yeah, s-sorry…" Jyugo muttered.

Alloisia smiled widely at him and laughed lightly. She released his shoulders and stepped back. "Sorry, about that. I, uh… couldn't help it. I'm just… I'm _so_ glad you're okay."

"I-it's fine…" Jyugo said. "I saw the guys earlier… They told me a lot about you. Uh… I heard you almost lost your job when I was still out of it…"

"Oh, yeah, _that…_ " Alloisia frowned before smiling. "Yeah, that's a bit of a long story… Which, you honestly deserve to know. So, um, where to start…"

"Wait," Jyugo spoke up a bit louder than before, causing Alloisia to stare at him and let him talk. "I, uh… I need to say this, to you especially. I'm sorry, for everything… At the New Year's festival I went completely berserk and tried to harm everybody. I swung at you so many times, and yet you still kept trying to stop me and calm me down… I hurt your hands, trying to… hurt Uno… I'm a complete idiot, and I have no idea how to make that up to you. So, please…" He bent down to the ground in a begging position, his head practically touching the floor. "...Please allow me to start over…"

Alloisia stared at him for a moment. She got onto her knees and tapped his head, forcing Jyugo to look up at her. She smiled widely at him, completely catching him off guard.

"It takes a lot for someone to admit that they were wrong." She said, her voice soft and calming. "For you to come here and explicitly tell that to me directly takes a lot of courage. I commend you for that." Her hand went to the side of his head and ruffled his hair affectionately. "I've already forgiven you, Jyugo. I never blamed you in the first place. Don't worry about any of it, okay?"

Jyugo could only stare at her in shock. He tilted his head down, his body beginning to tremble as he tried not to cry again, especially in front of her. Alloisia, taking notice, wrapped her arms around him again while chuckling.

"It's okay." She said softly to him. "Sometimes we all need to just cry. Just let it out, Jyugo, let it out…"

Now it was basically impossible to keep it in anymore.

Jyugo hid his face against her collarbone, tears just falling down his face again as he was sobbing another round. His hands were grabbing fistfulls of her jacket as if it was his lifeline. Alloisia just held him, listening to his violent sobs and cries. She was rubbing his back, just like she would do to anybody really, while her other hand stroked his short black hair.

She didn't dare to move until Jyugo did. She stayed in that position with him for who knows how long. Eventually, he eased up, his eyes not watering anymore and he became very quiet. The only thing Alloisia could hear would be his breathing through his mouth, but that was understandable. The grip on her jacket was released and now lightly placed on her back. The teen's head just rested against her chest, once again hearing and quietly listening to her heartbeat.

' _It's so… calmly… and warm…_ ' He thought, unable to really comprehend anything.

Alloisia just kept stroking his hair while her other hand rubbed his back up and down. It was a deja vu moment for her, remembering how her siblings would always cry. It was literal instinct at this point in time of what to do. Eventually Jyugo pulled away, hiding his face by looking at the ground as his bangs concealed his face.

"S-sorry…" He whispered softly.

"Don't apologize. It's okay." Alloisia said and patted his head twice, causing him to look at her. "To be honest, I'm used to it thanks to Seitarou…"

Jyugo let out a small laugh, putting his hand against his face to hide it. Alloisia giggled softly with him and tugged on her sleeve. She forced his head up to face her as she wiped his eyes from the tear stains and any snot that hanged.

"Don't worry about anything, okay?" She said softly to him. "I bet the guys did the same as me. But, I doubt about of them let you sob it out, huh? Sometimes we just need to let it out, you know? So don't be afraid to cry. You're human, Jyugo. You have every right as a living being to cry. Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah… Thanks…" Muttered Jyugo as he wiped his own face with his sleeve. "I didn't mean to ruin your jacket…"

"Ah, screw it." She said and began to take it off. "It needed a washing anyways. Don't matter to me. I've got five of them."

"Wha… Why so many?" Jyugo asked.

"I keep ruining them." Alloisia said and got her jacket off and placed it next to her. "I keep getting snagged by corners without realizing and I end up ripping them. I've ruined about three this past week. _Three_. Seitarou was so shocked to see just how ruined they got he said I could cosplay as a walking zombie."

Jyugo chuckled at her tale, finding it ridiculous how she managed to do that. "That's a lot of money, huh?"

"Oh well." Alloisia shrugged and rolled her eyes.

The teen eventually stopped laughing and instead began to stare at her. "You… really are a woman, huh?"

"Yes, I am…" Alloisia nodded her head. She took her hat off and began untying her hair. "If I wanted to be a guard, I would have to conceal my identity. This is a prison full of men, so it was for my own safety. I talked to the others about it and they promised to keep silent about it. Back when I was 15 I took a dark road and tried to physically change my gender, which didn't work out so well. My gender was hidden from everyone until exams came, then I was found out. I refused to get moved, so the guards ended up keeping it a secret and I continued to act like a male for three years. Once my sentence was served, I went back to being a normal female."

"Sheesh… That sounds harsh." Jyugo muttered.

"Not as bad as some other things but, eh." Alloisia shrugged. "By the way, my real name isn't Alan. It's Alloisia. But, since I'm still a guard here, you will have to call me by Al or Alan still. Nico doesn't listen and keeps calling me Sia, but, whatever…"

"Alloisia…" Jyugo tried the name out. "Never heard that one before…"

"Supposedly it's German." Alloisia said. "My father, being a German immigrant, wanted a German name and he choose that one. It means something about fighting, I think…"

"If it's about fighting then it probably is up your alley." Jyugo said. She nodded in agreement and laughed lightly.

"Can't argue there." She said. "I had to keep it a secret, but I ended up getting revealed. Because of that, I was almost fired. But, thanks to a lot of Supervisors, they convinced the Warden to let me stay. I'm glad because… I really wanted to see you again."

Jyugo stiffened immediately, his face beginning to turn red. He tilted his head down, hoping to god that she didn't notice.

"R-really now…" Jyugo mumbled.

"But, I'm going to be honest…" Alloisia said calmly, but looked very serious. "You scared the shit out of me back there. I thought you were going to die by Hajime's hands… And… Your eyes weren't at all the same… I now understand your rage, and why you acted that way, but… Never do that again!"

Jyugo flinched at her tone, suddenly finding himself being scolded by her.

"You could've hurt somebody, badly!" She continued to rant. "I know Musashi provoked you and hurt you, but you shouldn't have done that! I'm glad nobody was harmed, and this ended up better than I imagined it to, but you seriously caused a mess! If someone provokes you, don't act out on your feelings. Never act out on your feelings like that every again, okay? Emotions always blind your way of thinking. Promise me you won't do that ever again!"

"I promise…" Jyugo said, keeping eye contact with her. "I'm sorry for scaring you and everybody else like that…"

"Well…" Her voice softened and she ruffled his hair again. "I'm just glad you're allowed back here. It would've been annoying go down in those underground cells. It take a full twenty minutes to get down there, and that's subtracting the walking!"

Jyugo just stared at her grinning face. It was so weird to him how she kept ruffling his hair, speaking so soft and nicely. It was beyond his understanding to why she cared so much. He knew it was 'her job,' but it was much more than that. It was like… she had known him for years. Like she grew with him. He never really had this much affection given to him in one day. As weird as it was, he didn't… _hate_ it. He couldn't understand the beating in his chest as he stared at her. It was just too confusing…

...But, he knew he liked it.

.

.

.

.


	24. Chapter 24

"Hello, Alan. It's been a while."

"Indeed it has. How's Building 5 for ya?"

"It's been the same."

"Good."

Alloisia was surprised by the sudden call from Rock this morning. She had went over to see what was up, only for him to ask to bring Liang over for lunch. He explained to her how he wanted to show Liang just why he wanted a stone over. Even though probably would've scoffed at his request, Alloisia willingly agreed to it. She even worked a bit of her charm to get Samon to agree to it, much to his dismay. So, here she was, bring Liang to Building 13. It's been a long while since she'd talked to him.

"I'm still trying to understand why I've been requested…" Muttered Liang, clearly suspicious of Rock's intent.

"Rock isn't trying to pick a fight, alright?" Alloisia said calmly, knowing what he was thinking. "He just simply wants to have lunch with you and talk. Nothing wrong with that."

"But he is my rival! Rivals don't eat and talk like a bunch of women!" Liang said.

" _Oi_." Alloisia sharply glared at him, causing Liang to stiffen.

"Y-you know I don't mean any disrespect." Liang defended himself to escape her anger. "I've seen most women in my country gossip to each other than men do. You know me well enough to know I respect all women…"

"Just makin' sure…" Alloisia muttered before looking forwards again. "But seriously, stop worrying about Rock. He's honestly a good guy. I don't know what happened between you two, but I think he wants to make up for it. At least sit down and see what he has to say, okay?"

"Hm…" Liang looked away from her and glared at the walls. "...Fine. I'll see what he wants…"

Alloisia smirked at him knowing he could see it (it was lunch after all so she could have the mask off), but Liang could tell she had a type of smugness in her eyes. They arrived to Building 13's cafeteria and Rock immediately spots them. He waved them over, sitting with the rest of Cell 13, and Alloisia escorts Liang over, much to his dismay. She even took a seat next to him to hopefully make Liang a little more at ease.

"Thanks for comin'!" Rock said, smiling widely.

"Not like I had much of a choice…" Liang murmured and eyed Alloisia before looking back at him. "What do you want?"

"Here," Rock held a slice of pizza out to Liang, which puzzled him. "Give it a taste!"

"If you brought me here to eat pizza, I'll have you know that the Chief in Building 5 makes that, too." Liang stated.

"And I'm sure he does it when he can but without a stoneoven it doesn't compare." Rock said with a smirk.

"Stone oven…" Liang murmured, clearly displeased by the word.

"That's the prize Rock wanted from winning the New Year's Tournament." Jyugo said as he and Uno were watching him.

"Yeah, I remember…" Liang muttered.

"It took them a long time but they finally finished installing it!" Uno said.

"Is that so…?" Liang said and eyed Alloisia as if to confirm it.

"Yeah, it took a while to do it." Alloisia nodded. "I heard they almost burned the kitchen down trying to instal it correctly. The Old Man would've given those guys more hell that Shiro could possibly do, hehehe…!"

"This piece was cut from the very first pizza that came out of that oven—you're looking at a piece of history." Rock said as Shiro came over and loomed over Liang. "Shiro was really excited to make it. See? Look at how happy he is!"

Alloisia looked up at Shiro's face, then at Liang's. She couldn't help but snicker softly at his fearful expression.

"That's his happy face…?" Liang whispered, obviously intimidated by him.

"Hurry. Take a bite while it's still hot." Rock urged him.

Alloisia, knowing Liang was being stubborn, rolled her eyes and grabbed a piece herself. Knowing he was watching her in confusion, she took a bite of it since she hadn't tried it herself. Her eyes widened in clear surprise, not really expecting it to taste so good.

"Oh, wow, this is good!" She exclaimed, looking joyful. "I honestly didn't expect that. It reminds me of home." She looked to Shiro and gave him a thumbs up. "I compliments go to you, my good sir!"

Shiro just nodded to her in appreciation. Liang could only stare at her as if she betrayed him, his eye twitching in annoyance. She just shrugged at him innocently.

"What? I can't deny good food when I taste it!" She exclaimed. "Eating is probably my favorite time of the day. You know about my condition."

"Oh, right…" Liang muttered.

"Wait, you mean the HSAN?" Rock asked, causing Alloisia to nod. "RIght, right, right! You said something about only to be able to feel things with your tongue, right?"

"Mm-hm." She nodded. "When I was a kid I was a big foody because of that. Since I can only sense with my tongue, breakfast, lunch and dinner became my favorite parts of the day. But seriously, Liang, try it. It's good, I swear!"

"You did get brought here, after all. "Jyugo spoke up, grabbing Liang's attention. "The least you can do is give it a try."

Liang became a bit silent after that. In a sort of reluctance, Liang took the slice from Rock's hand and examined it. Slowly, he brought the slice to his mouth and took a bite, the group watching intensely for his reaction. His eyes widened in shock as he swallowed.

"Delicious…!" He exclaimed softly.

"Isn't it though?!" Rock exclaimed, becoming so excited he was standing up from his seat. "Pizza baked in a stone oven has a superior taste, texture, and even smells better! And that's just the start. You can cook bread, meats—anything! I've been dreaming about this for ages. I'm glad they could let you come here so I can show you why. Thanks again, Al."

"You are very welcomed." Alloisia said, spinning her hand and raising into the air as if bowing.

"Ah ha ha! This is delicious indeed!" Yamato exclaimed. He was sitting at the end of the table, eating a slice of pizza with chopsticks along with a gigantic bowl of rice.

"That bowl's huge, Yamato…" Alloisia murmured, staring at him in shock. "Just… Why're you eating that with your pizza?"

"You get it, we Japanese eat rice with everything!" Yamao exclaimed through a mouth full of rice.

"No, no I do not considering I am American and not at all Japanese." Alloisia stated firmly. "Hell, I don't even look Japanese, have you seen my arms in the sun!"

"At any rate, we're pretty lucky we get to eat food this good." Uno said and turned to Rock. "I appreciate it, Rock."

"No prob!" Said the big guy, grinning cheerfully.

' _Rock is honestly a gigantic kid._ ' Alloisia thought as she stared at his expression. ' _He kinda is underappreciated. I should fix that some time. I bet he wouldn't mind it if I tried giving him some recipes to keep…_ ' As she thought that, Rock went on a huge rant of why he enjoys a stone oven so much. Liang looked overwhelmed by his attitude.

"I feel like Rock wants to become Shiro's apprentice someday." Uno said, looking towards Liang.

"I can definitely see that…" Stated Liang.

"That would actually be awesome if that happened…" Alloisia said quietly, clearly enjoying that idea.

Hearing a few familiar stomps, she looked up to see Shiro walking over to them. He came up behind Liang and placed a very familiar container in front of him. Alloisia recognized it as a bamboo steam basket. They had those everywhere in Building 5. Shiro placed it in front of him and lifted the lid up, revealing two large pieces of food.

"Are those…" Liang could only stare at them in surprise.

"I told Shiro you were coming over, so he learned how to make Chinese food." Rock explained.

"They're peach buns…" Liang reached for one and held it. He slowly brought it to his mouth and took a bite. He looked shocked, only for his face to show total bliss. "So good… It taste like I'm visiting home."

Alloisia couldn't help but grin at his expression. Seeing Liang's happy expression was always something she cherished seeing. Back when she was in Building 5 she has alway tried to get him smiling since he was so serious all the time. ' _Everyone deserves a type or laugh or smile sometimes…_ '

"Good job, Shiro! A Chinese native just complimented your cooking!" Rock exclaimed to the man.

Even Shiro's face turned red with appreciation, glad he could get such a praise. Alloisia couldn't help but laugh at his expression, glad to two over-serious men could be joyed today.

"You know… I don't think I've ever sat down to enjoy eating like this." Liang said in realization.

"Seriously?" Jyugo questioned, obviously surprised by his words.

"I've always looked at the consumption of food as a chore," Liang said. "One essential to retaining my training regiment." Shiro began to pour a cup of tea for him. "But taking in the aesthetics of a meal, enjoying its aroma and flavor…" Liang smiled and picked up the cup of tea. "It's a nice use of time."

"I'm glad." Rock said, catching Liang's attention. "You've lost weight since the two of us first met, right? I was worried when I saw you at the tournament. This should help, though. The only thing you get from fighting are injured and people who are pissed at ya. I don't know about you, but I've had plenty of those. I'm over all that."

"Oh yeah?" Jyugo questioned.

"I did the math and eating's _way_ better." Rock said. "When you eat you get full—that feels awesome. And everyone smiles when they eat something good. We get to eat something tasty everyday—we should count ourselves lucky."

"A-fucking-men!" Alloisia said and slapped the table, causing Uno to snort and start laughing. She then elbowed Liang. "And you didn't want to come. Someone just got proven wrong."

"Yes," Liang chuckled lightly at her. "You always did have a way of being right all the time..."

"I wouldn't say that, but…" Alloisia shrugged jokingly, laughing when Liang pushed her shoulder to knock her down.

"Anyways, Rock…" Liang looked back at him with a serious expression. "I'm sorry for what I said in our fight. I called your dream ridiculous—but I was wrong." Liang stood up from his spot and gave a short bow. "Xie xie. The meal was delicious. Thanks for sharing."

' _That's my que._ ' Alloisia stood up herself. Being the guard who took him here, she had to be the one to bring him back. She waved at the boy's goodbye before turning to catch up to Liang with ease. Once she was beside him and copying his pace, she was glad to see the soft smile on his face.

"...Was that so hard?" She said to him with a big smirk. Liang laughed softly.

"Yes, it kinda was…" He said before lifting his head and smiled at her. "But, I'm glad you brought me. Thank you, Allois."

"If you want, I'm sure I can get the Old Man in Building 5 to cook you peach buns." She said and winked at him.

"No, no." Liang lifted his hand up and waved it. "You already pulled enough strings as it is. I'm just grateful that I could taste a bit of home away from home today…"

Alloisia smiled at him before looking forwards again. "Okay…"

A comfortable silence fell between them, walking side by side back to Building 5.

.

"Why do I have to come now?"

"Because I was directly ordered to go get you."

"They why did you allow Qi to come?"

"Because I can."

"Good to know you've been the same as always, Al."

Alloisia just shrugged at Qi's comment. After bringing Liang back to his cell Hajime had contacted her on her radio. He asked her to bring Upa down towards a gaming room because Nico asked for it. Thankfully she hadn't left the building otherwise she'd be annoyed as all hell.

Turning back around, she went to go get Upa. But, of course, Qi decided to come along. Why? To get out of work. As much as she shouldn't let him off of the hook, she allowed it this once. It's been awhile since she's seen them so why not? Upa clearly disagreed with her, but she obviously ignored his complaints. Once she got to this new game room of Nico's, she was utterly shocked by the sight.

It was a gigantic arcade room. From what she knew, this was his reward from the tournament. She knew he wanted the latest games but she had no idea they'd go this out of hand with it. It was actually a pleasant surprise for her.

"What the heck…?" Muttered Upa as he did not seemed pleased. "Did you seriously bring me here in the middle of my meditation? What the hell, Alan."

"Hey, I just listen to orders, don't blame me." Alloisia said flatly and held her hands up in defense. "...But you gotta admit, this place is pretty cool."

"MASTEEEER!" Nico suddenly came into view, flailing his hands in excitement as Upa went behind Alloisia's leg at his sudden appearance. "COME ON, LET'S PLAY SOME GAMES!"

" _WHOA_ , slow it down, kid!" Upa shouted, having his arms out ready to attack him. "I do not recall agreeing to be your master!"

"But you did say you'd think about it if I beat you in the tournament." Nico said to him a lot calmer than before.

"Yeah, well I did think about it. I decided I don't want to." Upa stated harshly.

"Huh?!" Nico exclaimed in shock.

"Could you be anymore harsher on the kid, jeez, Upa…" Alloisia groaned and rubbed her head at his usual behavior.

"Yeah, what's your hold up?" Qi questioned him.

"Maybe that's because you aren't a qigong master." Upa retorted.

"Ah, _yes_ , because _of course_ that is the case." Alloisia said sarcastically and bent her upper body more towards Upa's height. "Seriously, Upa. If you keep being this nitpicky you'll never gain a disciple to teach."

"You don't know that!" Upa snapped at her. "And stop bending forwards like that, I get that you're tall! Stop rubbing it in my face!"

Alloisia could only roll her eyes and shake her head at his usual antics. She straightened up, only now realizing the rest of Cell 13 was here as well. It honestly shouldn't surprise her. The group hardly goes anywhere without each other.

"Hey, you there." Jyugo spoke up and pointed at Qi. "You're the guy who slept at the top spinning event."

Qi stiffened, being guilty as charged.

"What? You tagged along uninvited to get out of work?" Rock questioned, hitting the nail on the head.

"Kinda scummy…" Uno commented.

"Why're you calling me scummy? You only just met me!" Qi said.

' _But… it is kinda truuuue…_ ' Alloisia thought but didn't dare say it. As she thought that she heard a familiar frustrated monkey-like screech. She turned, knowing exactly who it was, only to hear the familiar voice of Kazari. She turned back around and pretended she heard nothing, knowing it would be easier that way.

When she did turn back around, she saw that everyone fled to their own devices. Seeing that they would all stay here, Alloisia began to look around the place. It's been a long time since she had been around so many games. Passing by a few she smiled softly.

' _I remember all of these types of games…_ ' She thought to herself. ' _It's been so long, too. I wonder if that place is still standing in my old hometown…?_ '

"Having fun?" A voice snapped her out of thought.

Turning her head, she spotted Jyugo behind her. She shrugged and looked back to the game she had her hand on as she recalled a few memories.

"I guess…" She replied to him. "It's been _years_ since I've played a videogame… When I was younger I always snuck out of my house… Most of the time I went to the local arcade in my town. I always carried a bag of coins with me so I could play. I was utterly addicted to it…" She looked and smiled at him. "Those were some good memories…"

"Huh…" Jyugo muttered and turned his head, watching Uno and Rock battle it out on some dancing game.

"I'm surprised you aren't playing any." Alloisia said and faced him, catching Jyugo off guard. "Why aren't you playing any games? They're all fun. You should go join the others."

"I… rather not…" Jyugo muttered, looking away from her.

"How come…?" Alloisia crossed her arms, genuinely looking concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing like that." Jyugo shook his head. He gazed at the floor as he looked embarrassed. "It's just, that… I don't know how…"

Alloisia blinked her eyes owlishly for a moment before smiling softly. "Want me to teach you then?"

"Huh?" His head shot up. It was now his turn to blink owlishly at her.

"I'll teach you how to play some games if you like." She offered. "I haven't played any in years, so I'm pretty rusty. But I can definitely teach you the simple concepts if you want."

"Uh, no thanks." Jyugo said and looked away from her. "I'm fine just watching…"

"...Okay." She said and shrugged, knowing to just leave him be. "If you ever want somebody to teach you anything, you can always ask me. I'm willing to help."

"Why though…?" Jyugo asked her, clearly surprised by her words. "You always want to help so much… Why is that?"

"Well…" Alloisia gazed softly at the ground, having a bit of a melancholy expression on her face. "...I've always had people helping me as a little kid. Still to this day, I need a little help with thing every now and then. I guess you could say… I just want to simply make up for the times so many people have helped me. I like helping people. It makes me glad to see them happy…"

"Oh…" Jyugo muttered, understanding her point of view.

"If you ever change your mind about those games, just ask, 'kay?" She said and winked at him.

Alloisia turned and walked to a different game. Jyugo was so thankfully she turned after that, because he was damn well positive his face was redder than a fire hydrant. He literally spun around and leaned against a gaming system to get his head together so he would stop blushing!

Unaware of his situation, Alloisia went around the place. She was fascinated with every gaming system they got and placed it here. It was really impressive. Eventually she stopped at a machine she hadn't seen in years. It was one of those claw machines where you have to try and get a prize. She saw the guys surrounding it while Jyugo was on the stick. She walked over to see what was up, only to see Jyugo luck out and drop the object.

"You touched it that time." Nico said to hopefully make him not so upset. But that wasn't happening with Rock's mocking laughter.

"You really are trash at everything but jailbreaking, Jyugo." Uno stated bluntly.

"C'mon, give 'im a break." Alloisia said and nudged Uno's arm with her elbow. "These machines are hard. I lost plenty of times to these things. They aren't easy in the slightest."

"For you that is." Uno commented and tugged Jyugo aside. "Here, let me show you how." Uno began controlling the machine. "Look, it's all about your angle. You wanna grab the head straight."

They watched in amazement as Uno gained one of the plushies. It went down the little shoot and Alloisia grabbed it out of the slot since she was standing right there. Her eyes widened as her mouth went into a wide grin.

"Oh my god, it's a mini Jyugo!" She exclaimed and laughed a little. "Are there mini us's in there…!? However made these deserves a high five, oh my god!"

"Yeah, there's a bunch in here." Uno said and instantly spotted one and went right for it. "Hey, I think I spotted a mini Nico."

The little doll went down the shoot and Nico grabbed it. Alloisia gaped in amazement at the little, adorable details on the dolls. She honestly couldn't help the gushing feeling she had. She was a sucker for small things.

"Whoa! That's so cool!" Nico exclaimed as Uno stood by, grinning happily to himself.

"They _really_ did an amazing job here." Alloisia said happily as she was trying to remain as a calm headed adult.

"Hey, is that what I think it is?" Jyugo questioned and pointed at a plushy inside.

"I think it is!" Uno said and went after it. He gained yet again another plushy. Jyugo took it out and held it out.

"It's a mini Al." He stated.

" _Aaah_! It's so cute!" Alloisia couldn't help but loudly gush over the plushy, gazing at it in his hands. "They put a little mask on and everything! Oh my god…!"

Uno, Jyugo, and Rock stood there with shocked expressions written all over their faces. Nico ran off somewhere, trying to look for Upa, but that didn't stop him from hearing Alloisia's exclaim. The older woman looked up from the plushies, her smiling face now falling as she suddenly looked horrified in realization.

"...I just squealed, didn't I…?" She whispered softly.

They all nodded their heads.

"... _Fuck_." She hissed, turning away from them and bit her finger as her face turned red.

"...THAT WAS ADORABLE!" Uno exclaimed, suddenly hugging Alloisia, which shocked her as she became stiff as a board. "I will get you anything if you make that face again, I swear to god! That was so fUCKING CUTE!"

"W-what the hell…!?" Alloisia muttered and got out of his arms, looking immensely uncomfortable.

"You never act girlish like that in front of us! That was the most cutest thing coming from you!" Uno said quickly and all in one breath. He was trying to hug her again, but Alloisia's arm was out to prevent him from getting closer. "Come here, you deserve another hug!"

"N-no! Fuck off!" She exclaimed, her voice getting deeper as her face was all red. "I am anything _BUT_ cute! Are you on crack or something?! AND STOP TRYING TO HUG ME!"

"Well, Uno kinda has a point…" Rock murmured as he, indeed, found Alloisia's squeal cute.

"Nope! That's it!" She immediately turned and climbed onto one of the gaming consoles to get away from Uno. "STOP SAYING I'M CUTE, DAMNIT!"

"Are you always like this when showered in affection?" Uno asked her, trying to poke the air at her. "You'll willingly hug anybody but when it's the other way around you freak out. What's up with you? I know you're weird but this makes you even weirder."

"I-I'm not used to it, okay?!" She yelled at him. "Lay off, will ya?!"

Uno just laughed at her, finding her reaction utterly hilarious. The same can't be said from Jyugo as he watched the entire thing silently, trying not to burn holes into Uno's head. Now this feeling was something he could do without...

"Come on, Master! You should play with us, too!" Nico said, grabbing everyone's attention as Upa turned away from him.

"I don't want to." Upa said, being the stubborn goat he was.

"Aw, but it's really fun, I promise!" Nico whined, trying to convince him into joining.

"Heh. I guess he's scared he can't do it!" Uno taunted loudly.

"No, I totally could!" Upa exclaimed, now facing Uno for mocking him. "Such a simple task is beneath me."

Seeing this action take place, Alloisia put her hands under her armpits and began flapping her arms like a bird while making chicken noises at him. She was still sitting on top of the game consoles cross legged with the little Jyugo plush in her lap.

"Bawk! Bawk! Bawk, bawk, baaaaaawk!" She taunted towards Upa.

"What was that?!" Upa growled at her and pointed directly at her. "You're supposed to be the peaceful one, aren't you?!"

"Sorry, what?" She said as a smug smirk took place on her face. "I couldn't hear you over the BAWK! BAWK!"

"That's it!" Upa stomped on the ground and marched over to the claw machine. "I'll show you both who the real chickens are!"

"Oh, please do." Uno said and leaned against the machines Alloisia sat on.

Alloisia leaned forwards, her arms around the Jyugo plushy, officially hiding it from view as it remained in her lap. Upa went for a plushy, but it slipped out of the claw. It was silent for a moment before Upa threatened to obliterate the machine, both Rock and Nico having to restrain and stop him. Upa grew very frustrated, his temper being nothing more than a hair trigger.

"I forgot how intense he gets with these things…" Alloisia murmured as she was stoic faced again, ready to jump into action if she must.

"What do you find so amusing!?" Upa yelled at Nico, who stood right next to him.

"You look like you're having fun, that's all." Nico replied.

"AAH I'M NOT ENJOYING MYSELF EVEN REMOTELY! I JUST REALLY HATE LOSING, OKAY?!" Upa shouted and slammed against the machine, causing the plushy he grabbed the fall through.

He became quiet at the realization of winning the plushy. Which happened to be a mini version of himself. Almost dumbfounded, Upa bent down and grabbed the little plushy.

"You got it on your second try, way to go!" Complimented Nico.

"Heh… That was… easy…" Upa said, smiling at the doll.

Alloisia couldn't help but smile herself. Upa is honestly hard to handle, but Nico seemed to be just doing fine with that. She couldn't help just imagine what it would be like if Nico kept doing stuff like this with Upa. ' _Nico's a pretty special individual… I wonder…_ '

As she thought to herself, Kazari came back to give Nico his _actual_ Tournament prize. Nico looked really happy to have it. Seeing his joyful expression, she turned her head away from him as she got stuck in thought again. Unaware of time going by, her attention was grabbed by Nico yet again.

"Hey, Sia, can you come down for a moment?" He asked her.

"Hm…?" Curious, she hopped down off of the game and held the plushy under her arm. "What's up? Having fun?"

"Oh, yeah, totally!" Nico nodded cheerfully. "I was just wondering… You said you have younger siblings, right? How old are they?"

"Well…" Alloisia thought for a moment. "My younger brothers are 5 years younger than me while my younger sister is 9 years. So, my brothers are 15 while my sister is 11. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if you could give this to them?" Nico said, holding out his tournament prize to her.

"What—seriously?!" She exclaimed softly, surprised he was handing it over. "But, that's the tournament prize you've been asking for. Why do you want to give it away?"

"Because I have this game room instead." Nico said, gesturing to all the games while smiling. "Plus, games aren't all that fun unless you're playing it with your friends. I figured I could give it to you, and you can give it to your siblings."

Alloisia could only stare at him for a moment. She broke out into another smile and gently took hold of the small console. "Thank you very much, Nico. You have no idea how much this _actually_ makes me happy. I'll make sure to send it to them right away. Thank you very, _very_ , much…"

"Ah, it's no big deal." Nico said and waved at her.

"You'd be surprised…" She smirked at him. "But, seriously, _thank you_. I'm sure you'll be jumping in joy with this."

"No problem!" Nico smiled at her. "Hey, do you want to play a game with me?"

"Sure, hehe…" Alloisia laughed softly.

Putting the console into her back pocket, she followed Nico to a game her wanted to play. She began playing with him, feeling the nostalgia of playing something she hadn't done in years. It made her remember why she was so addicted to them. It made her feel things—it made her want to feel. That's why she loved them so much.

' _I wonder why I stopped…_ ' She wondered, only for her face to turn stoic and her eyes look hollow. ' _Oh… right…_ That _was why I stopped…_ '

"Hey, you!" The aggressive shout grabbed her attention.

Snapping out of her dark thoughts, Alloisia turned back to normal and looked over her shoulder. She was surprised to see Kenshiro walking with Musashi right passed the game room. Because of Uno's shout, they both stopped and looked at him. The light atmosphere got tense very quickly.

"Musashi…?" Jyugo questioned, clearly surprised.

"Is that Jyugo?" Musashi questioned, being as he was blind and unable to physically tell.

"It's okay. He isn't dangerous anymore." Jyugo told Uno who was defensively standing in before Musashi.

"You sure?" Uno asked, wanting to make sure Musashi was no threat.

Musashi stepped forwards until he was a good few feet away from Jyugo. He almost looked perplexed. "It's strange…" He spoke. "You seem different somehow…"

"Same to you." Jyugo said, being surprisingly calm.

Uno stepped between them, standing in front of Jyugo in a defensive manner. Jyugo put his hand on his shoulder to calm him. " _Chill_."

"It's alright." Musashi said, holding his hand up to signal it was fine. "I can hardly blame him of being wary of me. Considering what I did, it's well deserved."

"Let's deal with it. Tell him you're sorry." Uno said to Musashi.

"Huh…?" Musashi looked confused.

"Jyugo got hurt bad because of you." Uno said a bit hotly.

"Well, most of it was Hajime, but still…" Rock murmured, causing Alloisia to groan softly at the unwanted memory.

"There's no need." Jyugo insisted. "I'm over it, really."

"Yeah, well nobody asked if you were over it because not everything is about you, okay?" Uno said and began to scold him. "This is a matter of common courtesy—it's what _people do_. You'd be aware of that if you had an ounce of common sense in you!"

"Uno's been hanging around Sia too much, he's beginning to sound like a mom!" Nico said.

"Yeah." Rock agreed.

" _Oi_." Alloisia shot them looks, not wanting them to point it out.

"Okay…" Musashi spoke up, sounding a little awkward. He then bowed to Jyugo in apology, surprising him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. We both went too far." Jyugo said, causing Musashi to stand again.

Almost instantly Uno got out of 'aggressive mom mode' and went back to being his cheery self. He stepped towards Musashi and held his hand out to him.

"As long as you can say sorry, you're alright." Uno said.

Musashi, slightly having no idea what to do, tried to hold his hand out to him. Uno grabbed it and shook his hand firmly. Uno laughed and walked off, leaving Musashi in a type of dumbfounded manner.

"You got yourself an odd friend there." Musashi said to Jyugo.

"He's a good one though." Jyugo said, smiling lightly.

"Oh yeah!" Uno stopped and turned to Musashi. "You should come to my game room tomorrow! It'll be fun!"

Musashi just kind of stood there for a moment. He didn't say anything and just gave Uno a nod. Content with just that, Uno turned and went back to some of the games here. As Musashi turned to leave, Alloisia decided to test something. She began to snap her fingers softly, only enough for herself to hear. She made sure to do it in a careful pattern. Musashi's head twitched and he stopped walking. He turned and turned his head towards her, finding her to be the source of the noise. She smirked.

"Wow, I'm impressed." She said and walked over to him until she was in comfortable talking distance. "You're ears are sharp. You really are somethin', eh?"

"I'm surprised you knew that…" Musashi murmured.

"Let's just say, I've been surrounded by disabled people." Alloisia shrugged. "But, you should seriously think about accepting Uno's offer. You'll like it, I promise. Those guys aren't so bad to be around…"

"...I'll think about it." Musashi said. "By the way… What's your name? You never actually told me it."

Alloisia's eye went wide as _she_ fell into a dumbfounded moment. "...I am so sorry. I utterly forgot to tell you, I feel so bad now."

"No, it's fine." Musashi said. "I just want to know instead of referring to you as the person who kicked my balls in."

"Ha… Haha!" Alloisia laughed lightly before smirking. "Al or Alan will suffice."

"Got it." Musashi said and backed away to walk with Kenshirou. "Later, Al…"

"Bis später!" She said.

Musashi was caught off guard, which made Alloisia smirk. She saw a smirk appear on his face and saw him wave. He turned and left the area with Kenshirou. Alloisia turned around and went back to join the group.

' _This was a fun day…_ '

.

.

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	25. Chapter 25

"That couch is heavy, do either of you need any help?"

"Nope. I'm good. How 'bout you, Hajime?"

"It's light as a feather."

"See? We're good. How 'bout you, Yamato?"

"I am mighty fine, thank you! Ha ha ha!"

' _I will never get used to his loud attitude…_ ' Alloisia thought to herself. When the next day came, Uno wanted to begin to set up his game room. So of course he went ahead and began inviting a bunch of people. Two being the Inmates from Building 3, Honey and Trois. Aka—the pantie perverts. Alloisia will never not hold that against them for as long as she lived.

But, she tried to ignore that factor and act like it never happened. Right now she was helping carry stuff into the new room, only to find Kiji in there with his inmates along with the rest of Cell 13. Alloisia was helping Hajime carry a large couch, holding it above her shoulder with one hand while the other was carrying two boxes. Yamato was right behind her, carrying a mat with a bunch of boxes as well.

"Yo, where do you want this thing?" She called out since she was in the front of it.

"Uh, there should work for now." Seitarou said and pointed to the spot.

They obliged and easily placed the gigantic couch down. Alloisia placed the boxes down right next to the couch since she had no idea where to put them. This place was practically empty since Uno 'wanted everyone to pitch it'.

"Where should I put these things?" Yamato asked.

:"Anywhere's fine—just try to be careful, deputy Supervisor!" Seitarou exclaimed in concern.

Alloisia stood up, only to yelp and crouch to the ground again to dodge the large mat on Yamato's shoulder. She tried standing up again, but Yamato turned around in confusion at her yelp. Alloisia dodged the mat by leaning back, glaring pointedly at Yamato.

"Didn't you hear Seitarou? Be careful! You almost took me out—twice!" Alloisia told him.

"Oh! My deepest apologizes, Al! I didn't even see you there!" Laughed the older man.

' _Yeesh…_ ' She sighed in her thoughts and rubbed her head.

"Damn it, why're we the ones who have to carry all this crap in here?" Groaned Hajime, only to noticed a black fur ball on the couch. "Get off, Kuu… Hm… _Hm_..."

Alloisia could only sigh at the lazy cat. That cat won't move unless he is disturbed, and she knows for a fact that it's destined to happen.

"Oh, No.11! The various items you requested have all arrived!" Announced Yamato.

"Please let us know if anything is missing." Seitarou added.

"You did it! You really did it!" Exclaimed Uno childishly as he began jumping on the couch, causing Kuu to jump as well.

Seeing the cat fly in the air and meow in dismay, Alloisia was quick to grab onto the fur ball and save him from a life of ups and downs. She held onto the cat, only to realize he was clinging to her like his life depended on it. Which also meant that his claws were digging right through her clothes.

' _I've got at least three to four layers on, what the hell._ ' She thought, wondering just how long his claws are. She looked up to see the guys touching the couch while Uno remained jumping on one side of it.

"They probably would've bought this stuff if he asked them to." Rock said. "He did win, after all."

"I don't get why, but all they would take for free is this empty room." Jyugo explained. "He said he wanted to spend his own money on the rest."

"Guess he's broke now, huh?" Rock said, looking a bit amused.

"Go, Kuu, go." Alloisia placed the cat down after he calmed and shooed him away. She stood up and looked at the couch and table. "I still don't get why he just spent it on this stuff instead of any game boards or whatever…"

"Squish, squish, squish!" Nico kept chanting like a child as his hit the couch cushions.

"Hey, is this supposed to be the new game room?" A familiar voice grabbed Alloisia's attention.

She turned around to see Samon and Inori, along with the inmates from Cell 8. They couldn't see with the mask on her face, but she was smiling widely at them for coming. She honestly had no idea if they would come or not. I had to be the inmates who convinced Samon into letting them join.

"Okay, Upa, I agreed to carry all this stuff, so how about you stop punching me in the gut and let me do it?" Qi said to the shorter male, who was still punching him.

"This is to punish you for complaining." Upa stated.

"Why is a cheap table and crummy couch all you have in here?" Samon questioned, clearly not impressed.

"Eh, who knows…" Alloisia simply shrugged at him.

The guys began to set up a few of the tables they brought with them. It was interesting to see how they all interacted. The more stuff that was brought in, the more the room began to look filled. It was slowly beginning to look nice. But, what really made her happy was the pleasant chatter between all of the inmates.

"Wow. I'm surprised you were willing to give up your mahjong table." Spoke Kiji towards Samon.

"Yeah, well the thing is Inori was constantly playing it instead of doing his job." Samon explained. "So, I decided to get rid of it."

"That very much is a Samon move." Alloisia said and laughed lightly.

"Yeah, well, I think I saw him buy the automatic one a moment ago." Hajime said to Samon.

"I'll kill him!" Samon threatened.

"BIG LOAD COMIN' THOUGH!" Shouted a familiar voice.

Alloisia turned and yelped, seeing a gigantic box flying their way. She jumped out of the way, only to witness it hit the three Supervisors. She cringed at the sight of them slamming against the wall, knowing that has got to hurt them. Looking up, it was kind of not a surprise to see that Mitsuru was the driver of the box on wheels.

"Rwut-row, is everyone okay?" Mitsuru called to the three.

"No—no we are not!" The three growled at him in pain.

"You're more of a threat than those inmates, Mitsuru…" Alloisia commented, not standing up next to him.

"Hey, No.11! I got you some goodies!" Called Mitsuru who ignored Alloisia.

"Yaahoo! Is that what I think it is?!" Uno exclaimed happily.

Mitsuru opened the box and had Alloisia and Yamato help him unload. Inside was a bunch of stands with dart boards and a gigantic pool table. Alloisia was amazed that they even brought this stuff in considering that darts are technically a lethal weapon… Plus, the pool balls and sticks can probably hurt someone crucially if someone tried hard enough. Before she knew it the guys were already all over the games.

"You're my hero, Mitsuru!" Uno exclaimed and suddenly lept into his arms, shocking Alloisia as Mitsuru willingly spun him around.

"Yeah! Anything for a New Year's Tournament Champion!" Exclaimed the announcer.

"I'm really starting to believe that Seitarou is the only sane one here…" Alloisia murmured to herself. "At least they're happy…"

"I never would have thought they'd let us play darts in a prison…!" Honey said, holding a bunch of darts with a huge grin on his face.

"Oh how I've missed you so much…" Trois said, holding a pool stick.

"Damn it all!" Hajime cursed loudly, causing Alloisia to watch his angry form from afar. "Why did he bring that crap?!"

"He told me they were gifts for a friend but he didn't have room for them." Seitarou answered him.

"What the hell do those idiots think his place is supposed to be?!" Hajime growled.

"This is our house!" Uno and Mitsuru replied, giving Hajime a thumbs up as they were being smug little shits.

"OH, _SUUURE_ IT IS!" Hajime exclaimed sarcastically as he began punching a wall. "AT LEAST UNTIL SOMEONE LOSES A DART, OR A POOL BALL! UNGRATEFUL INMATES—"

"Supervisor I brought you your… digestive medicine." Seitarou said, having a glass of water ready as he tried calming the older man down.

"I actually feel sorry for him…" Murmured Kiji and he, Samon, and Alloisia had sweat drops on their heads.

"This is actually an ordinary day for him…" Alloisia murmured.

"You have my condolences." Samon said, resting a hand on her shoulder, surprising her.

After stepping away from that, she watched the other beginning to play with the new games in the room. Even she tried her hand at a bit of darts before stepping away from it. Darts is frustrating at it is. She rather not break the toy Uno just gained. Plus, with her overbearing strength, sometimes accidents happen.

She recalled breaking a chest piece by accident from slamming it against the board. Needless to say, she broke the board, too. ' _Most embarrassing moment of my middle school life…_ ' She thought as she face palmed at the memory. But she was snapped out of her thoughts once again by Uno's loud voice.

"Musashi!" He exclaimed, which grabbed her attention.

Awkwardly standing at the door was Musashi. He hand his hand up in greeted, seeming a little stiff. "Uh, hi…"

"You sure took your time gettin' here." Uno said and walked over to him, Alloisia following him.

"Yeah, there was this thing I had to take care of first." Musashi said.

"I'm glad you came." Alloisia said smiling, then looked to Kenshirou. "Thank you for allowing him out."

"Yeah, well, he at least earned it." Kenshirou said and walked off. "Do as you wish."

Alloisia chuckled softly as he walked by, rolling her eyes at his usual behavior. "Don't mind him. Kenshirou has always been like that. I'm just glad he allowed you out of your cell to come join."

"Yeah, well, I heard somebody nagged the hell out of him until he did it. I've got no idea who, though." Musashi said and shrugged.

"Hm… I wonder who indeed." Alloisia said, practically smirking with her eyes.

"Seriously, what can't you do with this prison?" Uno asked her in a bit of amazement. "You practically have everybody wrapped around your fingers."

"I wouldn't say that." Alloisia shook her head, not quite agreeing with what he said. "All you got to do is know the right people, okay? Connections are vital in this life. Plus, I offered to groom Kenshirou's guard dogs if he allowed him to come, so…"

"Seriously? I thought you told us those dogs hated you." Uno said.

"Oh, they do." Alloisia nodded. "Animals usually like me, but those dogs really don't like me… I think it's because I misbehaved as a prisoner here and they still resent me for it. But all's fair is fair. They have a right to hate me so… yeah…"

"It was Musashi, right?" Honey said as he and Trois came over to meet him. "We competed against you with that handsome guard dog, but not as handsome as me, in the tournament."

Musashi tilted his head to the side, clearly confused by what he meant.

"It seems he's forgotten you." Trois evaluated.

"How could anyone forget such a gorgeous face like mine?! It's impossible!" Honey exclaimed as he and Trois began posing.

"He's completely delusional. But if you use my gorgeous face instead the argument stands!" Trois exclaimed.

"Narcissistic prick!" Honey yelled at him.

"You're both narcissistic pricks." Alloisia stated as her right eye began twitching, but neither heard her.

"Wow you didn't even hesitate." Uno commented, giving her a sideways glance.

"I just really hate egotistic pretty boys, okay?" She murmured. "I've spent too much time with brats like that in America and it's just downright exhausting…"

"Oh, you poor thing…" Uno said and jokingly patted her back.

"I'll introduce myself to you just this once so take care to remember." Honey said, standing in front of Musashi. "I'm inmate No.82, but my real name is honey. I'm considered the best looking guy in this prison."

"I'm inmate No.03," Trois introduced himself next. "My real name is Trois and _I'm_ considered the best looking guy in this prison."

"Times like these, I'm glad I'm blind…" Musashi said, causing Alloisia to burst out laughing.

"Ha haaa! That was the best line _ever_!" She exclaimed, holding her stomach as she laughed. "Ahaha! Why am I such a sucker for this type of humor...?!"

"I've heard you laugh before, but never this hard…" Uno murmured, his eyes wide in surprise by her laughing. "Your laugh is actually terrifying…"

"S-shut up…!" She said in between her laughs and hit his arm lightly.

It took her a full minute to recompose herself and apologize if she had freaked them out. Musashi and Uno knew she meant no hard feelings and told her it was fine. After she calmed down she ended up playing a round of pool with the guys. She had no idea how long the game lasted until Seitarou grabbed everyone's attention.

"Ahem, excuse me everyone." He said before Hajime took his place.

"Back to your cells." Hajime ordered.

Immediately an uproar came from the inmates. Alloisia, being obedient as she was, put her pool stick away as she could hear everyone yelling, saying they wanted to stay and play a bit longer.

"Nobody's finished a single game yet, you've got to give up more time, man!" Uno exclaimed, trying to convince Hajime to change his mind.

"Your free time for the day is over." Hajime stated. "You spent all bit of it playing."

"How much time are you going to make me spend in my cell?! It sucks there!" Uno exclaimed.

"You can have one hour here per day." Hajime stated as the veins on his face were as clear as day.

"THAT'S NOTHING!" Shouted the inmates.

They all began talking at once, throwing insults here and there, demanded they wanted to stay. Alloisia sensed Hajime's murderous intent and immediately back away. She grabbed Seitarou and held him behind her, eyeing Hajime carefully so he didn't go on a plumbing frenzy. No even two seconds the man's temper burst, causing him to punch every single inmate on the head and cursed at them.

It was a very cringe worthy sight to take in. Musashi was clutching his head in pain, looking like a kicked dog. Honey and Trois were actually crying, having Kiji rub their heads to sooth them. Liang, Upa, and Qi were bitterly glaring as Samon tried to get them out of the door. Kenshirou and Kiji were glaring harshly at Hajime, angered that he laid a hand on their inmates.

Almost all of Cell 13's inmates were now clinging onto Alloisia, trying to hide themselves from Hajime. Nico clung to her waist, Jyugo was practically on the other side under her right arm, while Uno and Rock hid behind her and held her shoulder out of fear. Even Alloisia was fearing Hajime's rage, knowing he was one of the only men who could actually hurt her with ease. But even with the inmates clinging onto her, Hajime's ranting did not go unheard.

Of course, it was up to her to calm everyone down. She ushered Samon's group out since she knew quite well they needed out of their to cool their heads. She then went to try to appease the angry gorilla to hopefully calm the situation. Leaving him for a moment she he got Kiji's group out and then ushered Musashi to leave with Kenshirou. He then had Seitarou get their inmates out of there. It took her a full half an hour to calm Hajime enough to know he wouldn't punch anybody.

When she finally got back to the office she slouched in her chair while sighing loudly. Calming Hajime is a lot easier said than done. Eventually she told him to go smoke outside to get himself at ease while she went back to the office. She felt that was more stressful than dealing with an over raged Upa over a claw machine.

"Oh my _gooood…_ " She groaned after slouching in her chair. "I'm so glad the day's over…"

"I'm sorry you had to deal with that, Al." Seitarou said, feeling actually sorry for her.

"No, it's fine, it's fine…" She waved at him halfheartedly. "Calming anybody is hardly easy. I'm just glad Hajime didn't destroy the place…"

"Well, it's getting late." Seitarou said and stood up from his desk. "I'm going to clock out. Yamato is still doing the late night, but he's out training. If you need anything from him you can just contact him with your radio."

"Got it…" She mumbled and lifted her thumb up into the air. "Later, Seitarou…"

"Goodnight." Seitarou said and left the room.

Alloisia waited until Hajime came back before entering the dark room. He was the only one who could take her mask off, after all. She was still residing in the prison, her room basically the dark room now. Taking her entire uniform off, she changed into some pajamas before entering her bed. They were a faded purple long sleeve shirt that. Her pants were white, having a pattern of black dog paw prints on them. Tying the waist line, she climbed into her makeshift bed and went to sleep, glad to have her hair down.

' _Another good day well spent…_ '

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" _AAAAAuuuh!_ "

"Geh…!?"

Alloisia shot up in her bed, now becoming wide awake. Her eyes adjusted to the dark room, but she saw no one around. She listened carefully and sensed nobody in the room. It was strange. Alloisia usually isn't one to wake up easily, especially being in the deep sleep that she had been in.

She felt a very numbed panicky feeling in her chest, causing her to gaze around one more time. Seeing nothing, she placed her hand onto her head, trying to calm herself down. Placing her hands on her neck, she could tell that her heart was beating a mile a minute. Alloisia knew she wasn't dreaming because usually she could recall the last moment of the dream.

' _I'm probably just hearing things…_ ' she thought, trying to ease her anxious paranoia. ' _I imagined that scream is all… Nothing wrong. You're fine… Hajime's out in the office and Yamato is in the training area. You are literally outside of where Hajime it, you're fine, Alloisia. But…_ '

She groaned softly as she yanked her covers off of her and stood up. She slipped some black flats on and got out of her bed, her hand subconsciously finding its way to the back of her neck. There was something eating away at her—telling her that this wasn't something she should ignore.

She opened the door, trying to adjusted from the sudden brightness if the office lights. Once she adjusted she stepped into the room, trying her hardest to listen in carefully to her surroundings. Hajime, who had been at his desk the whole time, gazed up from his paperwork and towards her. He was confused why she was up and why her expression was slightly unreadable. She was clearly listening for something, and looked rather puzzled by it.

"Hey, what're doing up?" Hajime asked her, causing her head to whirl towards him. "Relax, kid. What're you doing out of your bed?"

"S-sorry…" She spoke softly, looking away from him and gazing at nothing in particular. "I just… I woke up hearing a scream… I-I just needed to make sure everything was alright…"

"Are you sure you aren't imagining it?" Hajime asked her. "I've heard nothing all night. It probably was a dream or something you were having. Go back to bed. You know better than to be out here without looking like a man."

"R-right, sorry…" She nodded and turned towards her door. "You're right. It must've just been some dream…"

Just as she stepped into her room, she heard another scream again. She whirled around, now fully alarmed. She took a few steps away from the door and was now in the middle of the room, listening carefully. She stared at the door, her eyes not blinking. She could only assume that her heart was racing even faster this time.

' _That was no dream!_ ' She yelled in her thoughts. ' _That was real… I know I heard that scream, I'm not being delusional!_ '

"Hey. What's wrong?" Hajime asked, seeing how she was standing like she was ready to react. "...Come on, Alloisia. Talk to me." He stood from his desk. "What's wrong?"

"That scream…" She mumbled.

Another one.

Gasping loudly, her eyes widened in shock as she realized where the muffled sound was coming from. It was outside. She ran straight for the door, not caring for herself or anything anymore. Hajime yelled at her, trying to get her to come back and talk to him for one moment. But she didn't listen.

Fearing for whoever it was, she ran fast, and hard. She had to get outside—she just knew it was out there. Something was going on and nobody was reacting to it besides her. Alloisia knew this wasn't something her mind was creating anymore. She knew that this was a scream. A scream of pure terror and fear. And, whoever it was who let it out, she knew she had to save them.

Running to who knows where, Alloisia realized she brought herself to the roof of Building 13. She carefully exited the door to the outside, trying to look around for anybody who might be out there. Hearing voices from behind, she peeked out from the door to spot only one of the two people.

The maliciousness vibe she gained from that guy told her she was no friend. He was just sitting on the hand railings, talking to whoever else was here. Not even realizing she was moving, Alloisia found herself jumping in the air, swinging her leg horizontally. Somehow, she managed to hit him right in the stomach, which actually knocked him over the railing. But...

...she went over the railing, too.

The person who had been the one screaming witnessed her fall in horror. They ran to the railing, concern and fear striking them. It was bad enough they were almost killed by that guy. Now she was going to go too? They couldn't let her die just like that.

" _ALLOISIA!_ " They screamed, trying to see if she might've hit the water.

"...Down here!"

They gasped and looked straight down, seeing Alloisia hanging from the ledge. As she fell, Alloisia's body quickly acted, twisting her body in the air as she fell with her hands out, which allowed her to latch onto the very edge of the roof between the bars of the railing. She even used her strength to make sure she didn't slip off, actually creating small indents into the metal. Gazing up, she realized the person above her was Jyugo. But she was more wary of the man from before. Looking down, she saw no one. It was like he vanished into thin air...

"...Are you okay?!" Jyugo called to her.

"If hanging on a ledge counts as okay, then sure!" She sarcastically responded.

Moving her hands, she grabbed onto the bars to help climb up. As she pulled herself up, Jyugo reached down and grabbed the back of her shirt to hopefully pull her up. Once her feet was in between the bars, Jyugo helped her climb over until she was on safe ground.

"What the hell happened here?" She immediately demanded, looking very angry at Jyugo. "Who was that guy? What the hell did he—"

She stopped. Her eyes flew right open as she stared at Jyugo.

His entire body was shaking. His hands, his arms, his shoulders—he was just shaking. He kept his head down and away from her, not allowing her to see his face. Alloisia's face dropped as she looked immensely concerned, only now realizing the screams she heard was really _his_.

"...Alloisia…" He whispered, so softly that it was almost hard to hear. "I'm so afraid… I'm so afraid of tomorrow…"

Alloisia's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Not able to understand it, she just shook her head and rushed forwards, hugging him tightly. Jyugo's breath got stuck in his throat, his chin on her shoulder, as her arms were tightly around him. It just made it feel all the more real. I made him want to break down and cry.

"I got you, Jyugo, okay?" She whispered in his ear. "I got you now. You're okay. I've got you…"

"Alloisia…!" He cried, his voice cracking as he found himself latching onto her. " _Alloisia…!_ "

"I'm right here, I'm right here." She kept saying, stroking his hair to hopefully calm him down. "It's okay, it's okay. You're okay, you're okay…"

Jyugo practically fell to his knees, bringing Alloisia down with him. She held him tightly, cringing with every shout he made. One hand was on his head while the other was on his back. She actually felt his nails through the cloth of her shirt, but she didn't dare to move. He was sobbing so much that her shoulder was completely soaked. Even with Jyugo's cries in her one ear, she still heard footsteps.

Looking up, she instantly spotted Hajime. He was giving her a very hard look that she couldn't quite pinpoint. She just shook her head at him, signalling that this was not the time to talk. Hajime clearly sighed and tilted his hat down, telling her that he was going away. She looked back and Jyugo and made him her top priority.

' _This has been a terrible, terrible night…_ '

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	26. Chapter 26

' _I've never felt this heavy since I've picked up that truck for the first time…_ '

Alloisia sat idly at her desk, wearing her usual uniform, as she was now on her night shift. Ever since yesterday night, she found herself thinking about Jyugo nonstop. As soon as he had officially calmed down he asked to go back to his cell. She had tried to ask questions, but when she witnessed his hollow and tired expression, she held her tongue back.

He went back to his cell, but Alloisia was very concerned. She even offered for him to take her bed in the night room because she became so concerned, but he declined. When she saw Hajime again she told him everything. She even wrote a report on it once he let her go.

She didn't even gain an ounce of sleep that night.

With what happened, she just couldn't stop her mind from whirling. In the morning she tried to ask Jyugo on his way to breakfast, but he just acted like it never happened. It honestly upset her because she knew she wasn't crazy. All of that happened—she know it did! The little indents on her back from his nails and the rips on her shirt was enough proof as it is!

But, she couldn't get him to talk. He just went back to breakfast, leaving her standing there as she wanted to punch a wall. It honestly hurt her because she wanted his trust. She wanted him to talk to her. She wanted to know what's going on. She wanted to _help_ him!

But, he just kept pushing her away…

Alloisia became so stressed about this that she kept groaning into her hands so much that Hajime almost kicked her out. Everything was so quiet that it was almost suffocating for Alloisia. That is, until the alarms blared off, signalling escapees. Hajime rushed out the door, ordering Alloisia to stay with Seitarou. Alloisia was shocked that this was happening, knowing quite well of which cell broke out. It just didn't make sense to her just yet. But, reluctantly, she stayed with Seitarou for the time being. The two were watching on the surveillance cameras, watching the inmates from Cell 13 escaping once again.

"What the hell…? He's going so fast—faster than usual…" Alloisia grumbled in shock.

"Right?" Seitarou exclaimed. "This is like a new record for them! And of course, Yamato is unable to be relied on… At this rate they'll hit the last doors and right into Hajime."

"This is bad…" Alloisia said, glaring at the screen. "Ever since we've discovered Jyugo's true powers, I know Hajime has upped his own game. He's not going to hesitate to beat him just like he had done at the tournament…"

"Wait, what're they…?" Seitarou muttered.

Watching closely on the screen, the group had already reached the outside door. But Jyugo stepped out and hit a button on the wall. Suddenly, a barred gate came down, trapping the rest of the inmates inside while Jyugo and Hajime were outside. Alloisia's eyes widened as everything clicked into place.

"Fuck...!" She cursed and rushed out the door.

"Alan, wait!" Seitarou yelled at her, but she kept running.

She ran out of the office, trying to get to the outside as fast as possible. Her mind was racing with every step she took, trying to go as fast as she could possibly run.

' _Damn it, Jyugo…!_ ' She yelled in her thoughts. ' _Don't do this, don't fucking do this! You'll regret it for the rest of your life! I know I did! So don't fucking run from us...!_ '

After possibly five minutes of running, she instantly spotted the guys up ahead. She slowed down and almost crashed into the bars, but was able to stop herself in time. She gripped the bars, in shock of Jyugo trying to slice Hajime down.

"Son of a…!" She growled before shouting at them. "JYUGO! YOU HAVE TO STOP THIS!"

"Hey, is there anyway to open this damn gate up!?" Uno asked her, clearly concerned for Jyugo as much as she was.

"Wait… That's right!" She rushed past him and to the wall. "Maybe I can…!"

Taking her ID card out, she swiped it across the screen. The red screen beeped with a 'no' sign on the screen. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized why it didn't work.

"Why didn't that work?!" Rock asked.

"It's because it's my ID card…" She said as she put it back into her pocket. She turned to them, looking almost terrified. "I'm not allowed to access high restricting areas… And this is a high ranking area!"

"What?!" Uno exclaimed, clearly shocked.

"You gotta be shittin' me…" Rock muttered and ran his hand through his hair.

"What'd we do?!" Nico asked, clearly panicked. "If we don't stop them, someone's going to get hurt—bad!"

Alloisia, finding herself slowly begin to panic herself, ran around the group and slammed her body against the bars. She rickashayed right off of it, falling right onto the ground as not even an indent was made. They all stared at the gate in shock.

"No way…" Uno murmured.

"Nanba Prison is always improving…" Alloisia muttered as she looked horrified, slowly climbing to her feet. "Therefore, whenever a new inmates comes in, they always adapt to keeping them in… Which only means that they created the bars so strong that it goes against even my strength…!"

"Is that even possible?!" Rock asked.

"If it knocked me down than of course it is!" She exclaimed, her panic causing her patience to thin. She flinched at her own tone. "S-sorry…"

"Jyugo! That's enough! Stop it!" Uno shouted at him.

"Why won't he stop?!" Nico asked.

"I think I might know why…" Alloisia growled and yelled out as she punched the bars.

The noise rang out, causing the inmates to flinch at her sudden action. She removed her hand, seeing a partially dented bar. It wasn't impossible in breaking down. But when she looked at the damage to her hand, she was surprised to see her white glove beginning to stain red.

"Holy shit…" Uno muttered. "Aloisia, don't try that again! You'll just end up harming yourself before you can even break those bars down! Don't you dare try it again!"

"Then what do you expect me to do!?" She exclaimed, obviously looking as panicked as they are. "If we don't get out there soon either of them will die!"

"Oh, so you plan on killing yourself while trying to get out there, is that it?!" Uno shouted at her.

"Stop it!" Nico shouted, standing in between them. "Us fighting won't get us anywhere!"

"Nico's right!" Rock exclaimed. "We need to start finding a way out of here and fast!"

Alloisia tried to think of a way to get out of here, but she had none. Just as she was about to just wing it, Seitarou came running up and grabbed the bars of the gate, watching the fight right before his eyes.

"Is 15 really fighting the Supervisor?!" Seitarou asked, clearly in shock of what's happening.

"Seitarou…!" Alloisia exclaimed as she realized something. "You have to open the gate right now!"

"I can't." Seitarou said, looking at her in disbelief. "I can't let the inmates leave the building—if I do that then they'll face serious charges too."

"Damn you! This is why pretty boys are useless!" Uno shouted at him.

"Leave my dainty features out of this!" Seitarou yelled back at him.

"Are you telling us to just stand here and watch?!" Rock shouted at him.

"Supervisor will take care of it!" Seitarou said, sounding more like he was trying to reassure himself.

"Just like he took care of it last time!" Nico said, referring to the tournament.

"Seitarou, open the damn gate!" Alloisia shouted at him. "If you don't then either of them could die if we just stand here and watch!"

"We're Jyugo's friends. I promise we can stop him." Uno said, trying to convince Seitarou.

"I… I can't do that." Seitarou shook his head. "Alan can't go past this area—if she does than her mask will automatically hurt her! The Supervisor told me to never let her go past these areas!"

"I don't give a damn!" Alloisia exclaimed, looking absolutely pissed right now. "I rather have myself die than either of them and I know that won't happen! This damn mask is nothing more than a fucking nuisance!"

Her hands shot up to her face as she grabbed the mask.

"AlloiSIA, _NO!_ " Seitarou shouted at her.

She tried ripping the mask apart with her bare hands, but Rock and Nico tackled her down. They restricted her arms, stopping her from harming the mask. This shocked her completely.

"Are you stupid?!" Rock yelled at her. "If you rip that damn thing off it'll hurt you—it's not worth it!"

"We're trying to stop people from getting hurt, not cause it!" Nico shouted at her.

Alloisia tried to fight them, but quickly became silent. She shut her mouth and reevaluated herself, instantly calming herself down. She was causing more trouble than good. Relaxing her arms, the two let go of her and she stayed on the ground. She sat up and looked right at Seitarou, locking eyes with him.

"Open the gate…" She begged, her voice soft as she sounded concerned. " _Please_ , Seitarou. I know it's our duty to protect the inmates, but trust them this once…! I'm begging you! I don't want to see any of them die!"

Seitarou stiffened at her gaze, seeing just how desperate she was looking. He tilted his head down and took out his ID card, swiping it in front of the button. As he reacted his arm the metal gate went up. Immediately, the three inmates rushed out to aid their friend.

"Thanks a bunch, Seitarou!" Exclaimed Nico as they ran.

"The hell are you doing, you idiot?!" Hajime shouted at Seitarou.

"Jyugoo!" Uno shouted, trying to gain his attention.

Hajime quickly rushed forwards, probably thinking that they were going to try and stop him. Jyugo went right towards him, probably not even aware that the gate was up. Before Hajime could get any closer, something fast flew past Jyugo, ripping at the hip of his clothes, and hitting the ground in front of Hajime. Hajime stopped and Jyugo stumbled, giving enough time for Rock and Uno to jump in between the two.

The item was a Nanba Guard's hat… Alloisia's hat.

"Out of the way, Uno!" Jyugo shouted at Uno.

"Not a chance!" Uno yelled back.

"Step out of the way, or I'll beat you all into a bloody pulp!" Hajime threatened.

"We're not moving!" Rock yelled at him.

"Go ahead!" Uno yelled at Jyugo. "If you really want to leave than do it! But first you're going to have to slice me in half!"

"Please, just move!" Jyugo said, clearly not wanting to harm him. "I can't lose you guys… I just can't…!"

" _ENOOOOOUUUUGGGH!_ " Alloisia shouted, her voice echoing through the area even with the mask on.

The desperate sound of her voice caused everyone to falter. Everyone except Nico. He ran behind Jyugo and used his foot to hit his inner knee. Jyugo, not at all expecting it, fell backwards and onto the ground.

"GRAB HIM, _NOW!_ " Alloisia shouted at the three.

The three inmates immediately jumped on Jyugo.

Rock sat on his torso, pinning his arms down. Nico sat above Jyugo's head, also pinning his arms down. Uno practically sat on Jyugo's legs, preventing them from moving. Hajime was utterly baffled by the sight before him.

"What is this…?" He muttered, surprised they acted in his benefit.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid Jyugo!" Nico shouted, his eye watering with tears. "You asked me to teach you on how to play games! How can I do that if you aren't here?!"

"Sorry, Nico…" Jyugo whispered.

"If you're going to escape than all of us are going to do it together." Rock stated.

"THE HELL YOU WILL!" Hajime shouted at them.

"But I don't want to do that right now!" Rock said, ignoring Hajime for a moment. "The food's really good and I just got my oven." He grabbed the collar of Jyugo's clothes to prove his point. "So you're stayin' too, alright Jyugo?"

"Yeah, Rock…" Jyugo muttered.

Seeing that his blades went back to his normal arms, the group knew he wouldn't try anything anymore. They climbed off of him and got Jyugo back onto his feet. Jyugo looked at Uno, seeing that he had cut his cheek with his own blades by accident. Not even a second later Uno punched Jyugo right in the face.

"YOU BASTARD!" He shouted at him. "HOW DARE YOU SCRATCH MY BEAUTIFUL FACE?!"

"WHO CARES?!" Nico and Rock shouted at him.

"Stop complaining!" Jyugo shouted at him. "I was trying to help you! It's not what it looked like!"

"Shut your traps, both of you!" Nico shouted. "I've got complaints to make too, alright?!"

"I traded a midnight snack because of you!" Rock shouted.

Before another complaint could be made, something sudden hit Jyugo right in the back of the head, almost causing him to fall down. He growled and looked behind him, seeing that what hit him was the visor of a Guard's hat. He looked over, seeing Alloisia and Seitarou still standing by the gate without either of their hats. But his eyes landed on Alloisia, who was looking absolutely angry and upset.

"Damn it, Jyugo…!" She growled before shouting at the four. "YOU ALL GET YOUR ASSES BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"

They all stiffened at her shout, seeing that she was absolutely pissed. Reluctantly, they all walked back towards the gate. Once they past the gate, they knew she had full range of punishing them now. She immediately began yelling at Jyugo as soon as he was over the line.

"The hell were you thinking…!?" She growled at him. "Fighting Hajime head on, locking us in here—you really are stupid! Do you have any idea what you actions could've caused? Do you?!"

"It's not what it looked like!" Jyugo said, trying to defend himself. "I was just—"

"Running away like a damn coward!" She shouted, causing Jyugo to step back. "Don't you _dare_ try to tell me it was for a noble cause! Stop keeping everything to yourself and pushing everyone away, damn it…!"

"W-what…?" Jyugo looked up at her, surprised to see her crying.

"Don't try denying it!" She continued. "No matter how close anybody is to you, you just keep pushing us away! Stop trying to do everything yourself and talk to us! Whether we be in a prison or not, we're your friends! Even when something shitty happens to you, the next day you'll act like it never even happened because you don't want anybody to worry. News flash—you worry us anyways! I want you to trust me, Jyugo! Why do you keep pushing me away so much when we can help you!?"

"Alloisia…" Jyugo whispered, shocked by her words.

"Stop pushing everyone away and talk to us!" She yelled, the tears continuing to fall down her face. "If you don't tell us what's wrong then nobody will be ever able to help you! If you think running away will fix everything then you're fucking wrong, okay?! You're fucking wrong! Running away solves nothing! I know because I did it all the damn time! I hurt every single person I cared about from running away all the time. Do you know how much that hurts? Knowing you broke their hearts, unable to see them again, just because of your selfish actions that you consider 'right'!? Because it fucking hurts, okay?! It hurts so goddamn much! And this is coming from someone who can't actually feel a goddamn thing!"

"But if I don't go then…!" Jyugo stopped himself, not allowing himself to finish.

"THEN TALK TO ME, DAMN IT!" She screamed at him, startling everyone around her. "I am right in front of you! I keep offering to help but you do nothing but push me away! It hurts, okay? It hurts a lot because I want nothing more than to help you and save you! Do you understand what I'm saying!?" Jyugo's eyes widened in shock at her next words. " _ **I CARE ABOUT YOU!**_ "

Alloisia suddenly went quiet, having used up all her energy in that one shout. A small sob escaped her mouth as she tried hard to stay stable. "...Stop being such a shitty little brat and start thinking about how we feel, damn it…!"

"Alloisia, I…" Jyugo tried to speak, only to get elbowed harshly in the side.

"Look at what you did!" Uno shouted at him. "Some man you are! Causing a woman to cry like that! Apologize to her!"

"If you wouldn't interrupt me I would be able to!" Jyugo yelled at him.

"Don't cry, Sia!" Nico said and hugged her waist. "Jyugo's right here so there's no need to be upset anymore. It's all okay!"

"Uh, Nico, I don't think you should cling to her like that…" Rock said and pried the younger boy off of her.

"You guys…" She whispered softly, grabbing their attention. "...really exhaust me…"

With what seemed like the floor was spinning under her, she fell to the ground. But, Hajime was right there to catch her. The inmates and Seitarou exclaimed in concern, wondering what happened with her and what was wrong. Hajime only sighed loudly in annoyance and carefully picked her unconscious body up.

"Like she said, you guys exhaust her." Hajime stated. He turned and sharply glared down at Jyugo. "She didn't sleep last night at all and she had been doing nothing but worrying about your sorry ass all day. Be grateful she's so concerned about you so much, because if it wasn't for her, I would've beaten you to a pulp again…"

Jyugo stiffened under his gaze, trying to let everything process in his head. He looked absolutely horrified and guilty by what Hajime said. The Supervisor turned and growled at the group one last time.

"Now get to your cells before I drag you there myself…"

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	27. Chapter 27

' _Mmn… My arms are heavy, I can't lift them…_ '

' _Waaaaiiit… I can't feel shit. So, why can't I lift my arms…?_ '

Alloisia forced herself to open her eyes as much as she wanted to stay sleeping. When she saw a face in front of her, she immediately freaked out without a second thought. She simply shoved them off of her bed, hearing the satisfying thump of their body and hearing them groan. Sitting up in her bed with her blanket around her body, she peeked over the edge of her makeshift bed to see the annoyed expression of her assaulter.

"I knew you were pissed at me but I didn't think you would shove me…" Groaned none other than Jyugo.

"Nah. I actually freaked out before realizing it was you and kicked you off." Alloisia stated.

Jyugo just gave her a look, annoyed by her clear smugness. Jyugo sat up and rubbed his butt from it being the first thing to hit the ground. He stayed on his spot on the floor and just looked at her.

"At least you're awake…" Jyugo murmured.

"Let me guess…" Alloisia sighed and looked at her clothes, seeing her hair slip over her shoulder. "I've been out for an entire day, huh?"

"Y-yeah… Everyone's been concerned about you…" Jyugo said, rubbing the back of his head. "..I- _I've_ been concerned…"

"Sorry. Can't help it." Alloisia said a small smile on her lips. "That's what happens when I over do everything… I forget I'm a human being with needs and necessities, so I tend to over do it and end up collapsing. But I feel fine now. Promise..."

Jyugo faltered, surprised she was back to being so soft spoken. He imagined she would be angry, or bitter in some way. Instead she was as smiley as ever. It actually made his chest pound, but he wasn't too proud about it.

"U-um, Alloisia…" He muttered. She hummed, showing she was listening. "I… I came here to apologize to you…"

"Hm…?" She tilted her head, waiting for him to go on.

"I'm sorry, for everything…" Jyugo muttered. "You saw right through me. I thought I changed since the Tournament, but… It just turns out I never really did. Everything you said was true. I've been scared… ever since that night… I just kept pushing you away, and I had no idea I was hurting you in the process. I'm sorry… I don't deserve your kindness…"

"I appreciate the apology." Alloisia said. " _But_ … I think you should start being honest with me. That night when you were outside and screamed—who the hell with the guy with the pointed ears? What did he do to you to make you scream in such a terrifying way…?"

"I-I…" Jyugo gazed at the ground. "...I don't remember. I can't remember a lot of things, and that guy's not one of them. I can't recall what happened that night…"

Alloisia stared at him. Jyugo felt like it was forever instead of the minute that it was. She released a sigh and rubbed her head.

"It's okay…" She said, surprising Jyugo. "It sounded traumatic, even though you didn't have any wounds on you… Sometimes the brain knows what's best and makes us forget. When that happens, it's best that we forget it and leave it… But if you remember anything— _anything_ —please tell me right away."

"A-alright, okay…" Jyugo nodded, now looking back up at her.

"...Good." She smiled, her tone sounding light hearted. "Thank you for apologizing to me again. But, I've got to say, sleeping next to a woman in her bed isn't _quite_ the right way to wait to apologize to her."

"S-sorry…" Jyugo looked away from her, unaware of his cheeks turning slightly pink.

"Well…" Alloisia fell back onto her bed, still gazing at him. "...you're surprisingly more comfortable than the plushy version."

"H-H-HUH?!" Jyugo exclaimed, startled by her words.

"I kid, I kid!" She laughed lightly. "Plus, I can't tell the difference between soft or hard! Ha ha ha!"

Jyugo could only stare at her with a deadpan expression ' _Did she really just joked about that…?_ '

"Anyways…" She said, catching Jyugo's attention. "Just why did you come here? I get that you wanted to apologize but that doesn't explain why you're in my room. Why did you come here when you knew I was out like a light?"

"I-I…" Jyugo's eyes kept darting around the room, clearly not wanting to answer her. But with that serious expression on her face, it was hard to get away from it. "I-it's just… you're really warm… especially when you sleep…"

"Warm…?" Alloisia questioned, now putting a finger to her lips. "Uh-oh… Did I catch a fever yesterday…?"

"A fever?" Jyugo questioned.

"Yeah, a fever." Alloisia nodded to him. "I can't feel my body so well. When I was a kid, I got sick a lot. My family checked my forehead everyday to make sure I was alright or not. I had to take ibuprofen a lot to take down my temperature and heal up. Because I couldn't tell what was going on with myself, I tend to power through it by accident, and then I would collapse. I wonder if that helped with me collapsing yesterday…"

"Wow. You _are_ your own problem." Jyugo muttered.

"Yeah…" Alloisia nodded, not even trying to disagree with him. She looked left and right. "What time is it anyways?"

After finding her clock she reached for it to read the time. She was surprised it was five o'clock in the morning. She expected it to be three or something like last time. Sighing she placed it back before looking at Jyugo.

"You should head back to your jail cell," she said. "I'd rather not have Hajime bust in here and beat you, _again_."

Jyugo pouted, letting out a disgruntled hum as he clearly didn't want to leave. "I don't wanna…"

"What do you mean you 'don't wanna'?" Alloisia climbed out of her bed and stood up, towering over him. Her hands went to her hips as she bent down towards him. "I have to get ready for work, you know. Plus, you're not supposed to be out of your cell. Doesn't your cellmates get suspicious of you whenever you escape at night?"

"Not really, no," Jyugo said flatly, completely unfazed by their opinions.

"Mm-hm," Alloisia hummed at him as she stared him down. "Seriously, kid, I need you to head back to your cell. A girl's gotta change, you know."

"Make me," Jyugo said, crossing his arms childishly.

"Do you want me to lick you again?" Alloisia threatened in a teasing manner.

Jyugo's body shivered at her words and his face turned pink again. But he suddenly regained composure and smirked at her. "Now that I know you're a woman, I'll willingly accept a kiss from you."

Alloisia's eyes widened as she was surprised by his bold words. Looks like she can't threaten him anymore with that. ' _Welp, that backfired_ ,' she thought as she softly huffed at him. She honestly had no idea why Jyugo acted this way only towards her. He still held his smug expression, practically daring her to do it. Which made her all the less willing to do it. Plus, it felt a little wrong. But, she had more than one plan up her sleeve. If she can't scare him with this move, she's going to have to physically kick him out.

Shaking her head lightly at him she walked around her bed and had her back towards him. Jyugo watched her, wondering where she was going. She went towards a cabinet and glanced over her shoulder, seeing Jyugo peeking his head over her bed to watch her. She turned her head, acting as if she didn't notice. With her back towards him, she began to lift her shirt, allowing the clothing to rise and reveal her bare back towards him. Immediately the boy flushed and stumbled back, falling back to the ground as he tried to cover his face.

"W-what're you doing!?" He stutter, his face bright red, peeking through his fingers.

"I told you I have to get to work," Alloisia answered simply at him, continuing to lift her shirt. "I'm still a man, after all."

"Th-th-that doesn't mean you should strip in front of me!" Jyugo exclaimed.

She looked over her shoulder at him as her shirt was now at her neck, smirking at him. "What, do you wanna help me?"

"NO!" Jyugo practically screeched, looking like he'd pass out any second. "P-PUT YOUR CLOTHES BACK ON!"

The boy practically zoomed across the room, pulling the woman's shirt down so he didn't see her back. Alloisia's body shook, trying to hold in a laugh as she found his reaction to be funny. His face was pink and he looked utterly flustered. It would be an utter lie if she said he didn't look cute.

"What're you laughing at!?" Jyugo exclaimed, looking almost frustrated at her.

"I never met a teenage boy who would get mad at a girl changing clothes," Alloisia chuckled before cupping his cheeks, startling him a bit. "I'm sorry, hahaha. You're just too tempting to tease!"

Jyugo frowned, almost pouting as the older woman squished his cheeks together. She finally released him after flashing a smile before turning him around and gently leading him towards the door.

"But I'm serious when I say I want you to leave," Alloisia said. "If you get caught, we both might get into trouble. I bet Hajime is still pissed about what happened."

Jyugo was quiet for a moment. He mumbled a small, "I'm sorry…"

"It's fine, it's fine," Alloisia waved dismissively as they stood at the door. "I already forgave you, and I'm sure the others have as well. You don't need to apology so much." She ruffled his hair yet again. "I can probably guess why you did that, but don't do it again! You gave me a heart attack… We can't help you if you leave the damn place."

"Right…" Jyugo mumbled quietly, his eyes landing on the floor as he stared vacantly.

Alloisia sighed softly before retracting her hand. She knew that look. He was in deep thought, she could tell. Jyugo seemed to gently snap out of it before turning and leaving the room.

"I'm glad you're awake," he mumbled before he left.

"You and me both…" Alloisia mumbled to herself before closing the door.

.

' _Geez… what's with the ruckus?_ '

Alloisia, who was now in her uniform and mask, glanced up from her desk as she began to hear a lot of noise outside of the office. Suddenly Hajime burst through the door, Seitaru and Yamato standing right behind him. A small bit of Alloisia jumped at their rather ungraceful entrance, but quickly calmed down one Hajime was yelling at her in a panic.

"ALAN, HAVE YOU SEEN WHERE NO.15 HAS WENT!?" He bellowed, looking panicked ye angered.

"Um… No," Alloisia shook her head. "But I had seen him early this morning. I sent him back to his cell, though…"

"YEAH, WELL, HE'S ESCAPED AGAIN AND WE NEED ALL HANDS ON DECK!" Hajime yelled, anger in his tone.

"Fine, fine," Alloisia mumbled before standing from her spot and heading into the camera room. She typed in a few key-codes before the cameras spotted him. "...He's in the library. I got him."

"He could run off while you're on your way there," Hajime grumbled. "We're _all_ going!"

"No, it's fine," Alloisia said and waved him off as she made her way to the door. "The kid's asleep anyways. I'll get there and drag him back."

"Oi, Al," Hajime growled causing the woman in disguise to stop at the door. "We need to talk later on…"

She tried not to flinch a his tone, which worked, as she was rather concerned for why he would want to have a talk with her. Concealing her concern, she looked over her shoulder at him and sent him a narrowed eyed look.

"Take a smoke or something," she scoffed at him. "You're anger's getting to you too quickly."

Hajime growled at her and tried to swing a fist, by the girl skillfully dodged. He tried again, but she ducked her head in time to miss. Suddenly she found herself bobbing and weaving her head while Hajime's irritation rose. Eventually the older man got a hit on her and sent her to the ground, making her groan softly.

"That's it! I'm getting that inmate myself!" Hajime growled before exiting the room.

"The hell's his problem…" Alloisia grumbled as she sat up from the ground, glaring at the door he slammed shut.

"Well, ever since two days ago, he's been really on edge," Seitarou said as he appeared a little nervous. "No.15's escape was very scary…"

"Mm…" Alloisia hummed out, unable to deny that she had been rather scared herself at the time.

Rubbing her head she stood up from her spot in the ground, her thoughts now preoccupied with what Hajime said earlier. He wanted to talk to her about something. She was unsure of what, but she had a bit of an idea. Needless to say, she was kinda nervous. She just got her job back, and she had the Warden's tension on her back for a while. Plus, her check up with her was due in a couple of days, so she has to deal with hat pending anxiety creeping up on her back.

Sitting back down at her desk, she await for Hajime's return. Yamato left to go back to do some training while Seitarou had done the same as Alloisia. The woman stayed at her desk and continued doing paperwork for a while. After a few minutes she heard the door open and slam shut. She picked her head up and looked over her shoulder and watched him sigh.

"Inmate caught, sir?" Seitarou asked.

"Yeah," Hajime sighed before his eyes landed on Alloisia. "Al, come with me."

"Um… alright," Alloisia mumbled and stood up.

She followed after the taller man, both of them walking down the hall of Building 13. The woman's mind swirled with concern, wondering what he was going to tell her. She was still on a bit of bad terms with Hajime, as much as it had relaxed a bit, but she couldn't help but be concerned. He was known for his temper, and she rather not be known for his punching bag.

Eventually they stopped walking. Alloisia stared up at the back of his head, awaiting for him to begin the lecture she was sure she was about to get. Hajime released a sigh before turning to her. Needless to say, she was shocked to see his face so pale.

"I-I have to ask…" mumbled the usually terrifying man. "The Warden, she… She had called for me to discuss about No.15, but… The woman can be _terrifying_ …"

Alloisia blinked at him, eyes wide in shock. ' _Whoa, holy shit! Hajime IS scared of something! I guess anybody would be scared of their boss. Kinda sad when you think about how the Warden likes him so much…_ '

"...And you brought me here because…?" Alloisia raised a brow at him.

"You're able to talk with her and not get glared at," Hajime said and grabbed her by the shoulders, genuinely looking concerned. " _How_ do you do it?! Is it a woman thing? How do I stop the Warden from having my head…!?"

"You'll be fine, Hajime. Trust me." Alloisia said, not wanting to admit the Warden's feelings to him. She'd get fired for real if she did such a thing. She patted Hajime's shoulder out of comfort. "Don't worry, don't worry. You'll be fine, seriously. If anything the Warden, uh… has her eye on you for other reasons. But they're nothing serious. Just go in and act normal, I'm sure nothing will happen."

"You sure?" He asked, clearly having doubts.

"Yes I'm sure," Alloisia said and pried his hands off of her shoulders and spun him around. "Now, go see the Warden!" she gave him a shove. "If anything you're the last person on her shitlist, so you're all good. Just get going and don't keep her waiting."

"R-right…" stuttered the grown man and he stiffly walked away.

Alloisia sighed, knowing that her tenseness eased. She had been afraid that he'd put more stress onto her. Turned out the big scary gorilla was a big _scaredy_ gorilla. As mean as it was, Alloisia found it a bit comical of how he was afraid of their boss. Yeah, she was scary, that's for sure. But it was rare for anybody to see him in such a state. Almost felt refreshing.

With a bit of a smirk under her mask, she made her way back to the office. As she was moments away from getting to the door, a sudden shrill scream got her attention. With her body on edge she rushed towards the sound and found herself at cell 13. She grabbed the bars and peeked inside.

"What's the mat—uh…" Alloisia stopped mid-sentence, staring in shock.

"O-oh, Al's here! Ahaha, hi!" Uno said, her tone full of nervousness.

"Uno…" Alloisia's tone was firm as her eye twitched at the monstrosity inside of the room. "What. The hell. Is that."

"It's Jyugo," Uno mumbled, clearly sweating bullets out of nervousness.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!?" Exclaimed the woman, feeling highly disturbed with what she was seeing. "AND WHY DOES ROCK HAVE CAT-EARS!? WHY'S KUU HERE! HE WAS IN THE OFFICE WHEN I SAW HIM!"

"Rock smuggled Kuu in here and according to Nico something bad happens when a cat touches him and I wanted to know so… yeah…" Uno trailed off as he eyed Jyugo, clearly being disturbed.

"What the hell…" Alloisia mumbled before rubbing her head. "If this was Nico's doing then it's a disease. Uuugh, all of you, come with me. We're heading to the infirmary…"

"All of us, meow?" Rock asked.

"Yes, all of you," Alloisia said and opened the door. "Nico is the source, and you're all his cellmates. So, I need you all to come with me so this _disease_ doesn't spread."

"Yay! We get to go on a trip with Sia!" Nico exclaimed and merily skipped out.

"Nico, no touching things," Alloisia stated as everyone followed. "The same goes for Jyugo nd Rock. You might spread it and I don't want to report it to the Warden. SHe has my head as it is… Now, let's head to the infirmary quickly."

With the boys out of their cell, Alloisia lead them to where the doctor should be. Nico kept trying to jump and hug Alloisia, but the boys kept holding him back. She did tell him to not touch anything, and that included her. Once at the doctor's office, Alloisia had to explain what happened. Needless to say, she couldn't save the boys from a scolding, which honestly she didn't try to save them from. It was their mess after all. After the doctor's persistent nagging, he got to work on fixing the boys. Rock's ears went back to normal, and after half and hour so did Jyugo's head. Alloisia was highly relieved and thankful to the doctor.

"Ah, it seems you've healed," the doctor said while patting Jyugo's head.

"Thanks," Jyugo muttered, looking genuinely relieved.

"I'm glad you're all better!" Exclaimed Uno. "With your knife hands and cat head, you wouldn't look like a main character."

"Oh, and I wonder who's fault it is for one of those reasons," Alloisia said, staring at Uno pointedly as her arms were crossed.

"W-what?! W-what're you staring at! Nico was the cause!" Uno exclaimed, pointing at the boy.

"Nico knows better than to touch people when he's contagious," Alloisia said and began to stare him down. "Plus, your eyes glanced to the left as you said hat and you refuse to look at me. Not to mention the stutter. So…" She rolled up her sleeve as she talked, only to give him a hard punch as it made the boy crumble to the ground. "You're to blame for this!"

"Ow, ow, ow ow, ow," mumbled Uno as he clutched his head, laying on the ground.

Rock laughed at him, pointing at his fallen figure. Alloisia sent him a pointed look, silencing the boy.

"Don't act like you're the guilty party in this," Alloisia said and looked at who was in his arms. "I wonder how Kuu got into the cell in the first place. Would you have any ideas of that, Rock?"

"U-uh, well…" Rock trailed off, clearly trying to think of a lie.

Within seconds Rock was on the floor, a bump on his head as he was in the same position as Uno. Jyugo could only sweatdrop at the sight.

"At any rate, how did this happen?" Asked the doctor. "Where did the cat come from?"

"Who's to say," Alloisia shrugged. "It might've smuggles it's way onto here. Either way he's gone."

A soft meow caused her to stiffen. Alloisia stiffly turned her head and looked up, spotting Kuu on top of a cabinet. She was bewildered by how he got here, only for her eyes to trail back to Rock. He and Uno had recovered from their injuries, only for Rock to sense her gaze on him. He spotted Kuu and lifted his hands up in surrender, backing away from the woman.

' _These boys will be the end of me, I swear…_ ' Alloisia thought as she stared blankly at them.

Suddenly the door opened, causing them to turn and look. It was Trois and Honey, both of them greeting Kaguya the robot as soon as they entered. Now Alloisia was officially feeling irritated. She was about to bash their heads in as soon as she heard them asking about underwear until Kiji came in. She hesitated because she didn't want to deal with the Bird of Drag Queens. She decided to ignore them until the Doctor was speaking again.

"Huh? Nico, your hair looks a little different," spoke the doctor and he held a piece of it. "The texture… is it… "That"!?"

"Yeah, it's probably "that,"" Nico said without the littlest bit of worry.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Alloisia asked, wondering if she needed to be concern for the younger boy.

"Ah, it's coming," Nico said and he continued with his vague words. ""That" is coming. It's coming. Get ready it's about to come."

"Hey, doc, what's he talking about?" Alloisia directly asked the old man.

"UNO, DON'T YOU DARE!" Jyugo's shout grabbed her attention.

"It's okay, just go," Uno said, trying to shove the shorter boy towards Nico.

"What do you mean it's okay!? Did you learn nothing from earlier?!" Jyugo yelled at him, fighting against him as much as he could.

"This time it will be okay!" Uno exclaimed and picked Jyugo up from behind.

Alloisia could feel a vein on her forehead. Stealthily sneaking up from behind him, she picked Jyugo up from out of Uno's grasp, causing both boys to go silent. Holding Jyugo in one hand, she quickly shoved Uno forwards instead. Uno screamed as he fell towards Nico, unable to save himself. He bumped against the boy and fell to the ground. They stared at him and… nothing. Nothing was wrong.

"Huh?" Uno hopped back onto his feet and looked at his hands. "Nothing happened…"

"Uh, guys," Jyugo mumbled as he looked between Alloisia and Uno. "You might want to look in a mirror…"

Alloisia raised a brow at him before Uno released a girlish shriek. He gripped a mirror and stared into it, gripping at his hair in horror. Alloisia's eyes widened to realize that his hair was a solid color of light brown instead of it's usual blond and pink. It looked like her hair color… wait…

"Oh, fuck me…" Alloisia mumbled as she held on strand of her now blonde and pink hair.

"My hair is boring brown! My beautiful blond haaaaiir!" Sobbed Uno.

"Watch it," Alloisia growled at him, her eye twitching at his words. "I'd rather take my "boring" brown hair instead of blond and pink… ugh… _pink…_ "

"What's wrong with pink!?" Uno yelled at her. "You should be thankful! It make you look—"

Alloisia slapped her hand over his mouth and glared at him. "Watch what you say, you morron! People still don't know…!"

"Oh, wight," Uno mumbled through her hand.

The woman in disguised growled softly at him, her eye twitching ever so slightly as she retracted her hand. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned her head, seeing Jyugo pointing at her hair again.

"It changed again," he pointed out. Alloisia's eyes widened at him.

"So has yours!" She exclaimed.

Jyugo now had Uno's hair, which means someone has his hair color. Alloisia glanced a her hair, only to realize she go his. She sighed at the sight, only to hear Jyugo beginning to exclaim in horror that he fell victim to it too. ' _At least I don't have Uno's hair color anymore,_ ' she thought in gratitude.

Soon enough, before she could even blink, the hair color switching had spread out to the entirety of the prison. After hearing a screeching Kiji and his inmates, eventually Alloisia was able to usher everyone away. According to the doctor everything should go back to normal within a day. With an annoyed sigh, she found herself back into their office, her hair color now Seitarou's while he had hers. She grumbled as she tugged at the strand, wishing to have her normal hair back.

' _This is too much…_ ' she thought with a sigh. ' _At least everything's back to normal now…_ '


End file.
